


Color

by alwaysbringbackup_03



Series: Kara and Lena get a Tattoo [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Anniversary, Bottom Kara Danvers, Cunnilingus, F/F, First Time, Hurt Kara Danvers, I don't know what else to put down here, Implied Lena Luthor/Jimmy Olsen, It's a bit of a roller coaster ride, Kara gets a tattoo, Kara loses her powers, Lena Luthor Knows Kara Danvers Is Supergirl, Sexy Times, SuperCorp, They're both a hot gay mess, Top Lena Luthor, Vaginal Fingering, angsty af, eventual supercorp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-02 14:50:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 42,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12728691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alwaysbringbackup_03/pseuds/alwaysbringbackup_03
Summary: Kara Danvers is in love with Lena Luthor, and Lena doesn't know it.ORKara loses her powers after her fight with an alien and gets a tattoo of Lena's name on her ribcage, because why the hell not? Lena eventually finds out about said tattoo, and shows up at Kara's apartment in the middle of the night. She's not too happy about it, but then Supercorp happens.ORSome Supercorp smut with some angst thrown in for good measure.(There's some implied Lena and James at the beginning of the story, but I promise that's all that is. There's no actual Lena/James in this one),





	1. If I Could Tell Her

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own any rights for Supergirl or the DC universe! All of my content is made for recreational purposes only and is not for profit.
> 
> I'm sure a lot of you will have questions about what this is. I wish I could tell all of you exactly what this is, and how it came to be, but I don't really know. It just sort of happened. An idea came into my head, and wouldn't leave me alone, so I wrote and I wrote about it, until I got it all down on paper. It's a lot heavier than I ever intended for it to be, but then again, all of the stuff I write lately seems to be that way. If do you decide to read this story, please stick through with it to the end, because it's worth it.
> 
> I just cannot get this amazing pairing out of my head. Supercorp has ruined me. Damn you, show writers.

It’s a Tuesday when Kara spends one too many seconds solar flaring during a fight with an alien and burns out her powers. Unfortunately, Kara doesn’t realize that it's happened at first. In fact, it isn’t until many hours later when she accidentally cuts deep into the flesh of her pointer finger while making dinner for her and Lena, that Kara realizes what's happened. It hits her like a punch to the gut. She’s _human_ again. It’s happened to her a handful of times now, but it’s no less jarring now than it was the very first time it happened.

Lena’s gasp is the first thing to indicate that anything is wrong. “Oh my god!”

Kara opens her mouth. She tries to tell her best-friend that everything is okay, but then the pain of the injury catches up to her and Kara drops the knife onto the cutting board with a loud clatter. Kara inhales sharply, as the pain flares and shoots up the nerves in her forearm. Her jaw clenches of its own accord as she tries to hide the look of pain that threatens to take over her expression.

"Kara!" Lena jumps up from her seat. Unfortunately, her hand knocks against her wine glass in her attempts to come to Kara's aid.

Time seems to stretch out indefinitely before Kara's eyes, as she helplessly watches what transpires next. Everything seems to play out in slow motion. Kara watches the wine glass teeter for several fractions of a moment, before it finally tips over and begins to fall. Wine splashes onto the countertop as Lena can't quite catch the glass in time, and the glass hits the counter with the tinkling sound of breaking glass. Kara vaguely feels the spray of the liquid on her skin as it flies everywhere with the impact, splattering her onto arms and staining the fabric of her dress shirt. The rest of the wine sloshes onto the countertop, forming a deep red pool on its surface. Time speeds back up, as Kara too tries to catch the glass in time, but she's too slow. In fact, she's not any more successful than Lena is in her attempts to prevent the inevitable. Kara lets out a sharp breath as she sees the mess that she and Lena have wrought in less than five seconds. She's already reaching out for the glass, trying to resolve the mess, when she sees the cut for the first time. Kara swallows back her sudden nausea, as she realizes just how bad the cut is. Blood drips from her finger, splattering onto the countertop beneath, and Kara draws back her hand with another sharp breath.

"Shit," Lena swears, "I'm so sorry, Kara," she apologizes, as her eyes find the large pool of wine and then the drops of crimson that are raining down from Kara's finger, splashing into the waiting pool below. It would seem that a little bit of spilled wine is suddenly the least of their worries.

"It's fine," Kara assures her in a gentle, patient voice, but there's a tightness in her vocal cords because of the pain. "It's just a little bit of spilled wine, Lena. Don't worry about it. It happens."

"Still, I'm really sorry. I just saw blood and I panicked," Lena says somewhat breathlessly. "Speaking of," Lena murmurs as she glances down. She looks slightly green as she sees the amount of blood dripping from the cut. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Kara tells her in a brave voice. "It's fine. It's just a cut."

Kara turns and reaches for the towel by the sink. She quickly grabs a hold of it and wraps it around her hand while holding pressure against it. Lena is alarmed, by how quickly Kara's blood soaks through the towel and begins to drip onto the floor. Kara keeps as much pressure on it as she can with her other hand, before ultimately deciding on changing tactics. She promptly starts winding the towel round and round her hand as she tries the staunch the flow of crimson. Kara's jaw tightens again, as a shot of pain travels up her forearm as a result. Lena seems to notice this, because her own expression tightens in sympathy.

“I don’t understand how any of this is possible,” Lena breathes, as her brows knit together in confusion. She finally rights the wine glass, and sets it back on the island with a soft clink. “You’re _Kryptonian_. Under normal circumstances, Kryptonians don’t bleed.”

“It’s okay,” Kara explains to her gently, in as calm a voice as she can muster. Although her voice quavers slightly underneath her words. “I must’ve burned out my powers fighting that alien this morning, but It’s not a big deal. It’s happened plenty of times before, and it’ll most likely happen again.”

“And you didn’t know?” Lena asks her, as she worries her bottom lip with her teeth. “You really didn’t know that you had lost them before now?”

“No,” Kara shakes her head, as she lets out a resigned breath. “No, I honestly hadn't noticed. And If I had, I assure you that I wouldn’t have been handling anything remotely sharp. I’m extremely accident prone when I’m... I'm  _normal._  The first time it happened? I broke my arm. And the second? Well, I started to cross the street without looking and nearly got hit by a car. Alex had to save me. I could go on and on. This is only the sixth time this has happened, I believe." Kara attempts to ease Lena's nerves with a bit of levity, "Let’s just say there’s a reason that Alex keeps me under house arrest when this happens. But it’s all going to be fine, I promise.”

“Kara,” Lena says as she moves around the side of the island, and reaches for the blood soaked towel. “It's bleeding an awful lot. You should really let me take a look at it.”

“ _Trust me_. I _saw_ it, and you _really_ don’t want to do that,” Kara tells her, confidently. “Look, I’m just going to run into the DEO really quick. It needs stitches, and Alex has gotten pretty good at stitching me up over the last couple of years. She’ll fix me up in no time.”

“Are you sure?” Lena asks Kara, with a deep frown marring her beautiful features. Her eyes hold far too much concern in them, and Kara feels guilt well up in her chest at having caused it. She hates being the reason for the look of pain on Lena’s face. Lena suddenly looks scared and a little uncertain. She's never seen Kara in such a state of vulnerability before, and she almost wishes that she never had. The hero is trying so hard to be brave, to remain strong in Lena's eyes, but Lena can see a fear lingering behind Kara's eyes. She imagines that it can't be easy to go from being invincible one moment, to being weak and vulnerable the next.

“Yeah,” Kara nods. "You're welcome to stay here if you'd like. But I'd understand it if you'd like to just call it a night and head home, too."

“Actually,” Lena plucks her keys off of the counter. “You know what? I'll drive you.” she offers.

“Lena,” Kara sighs, “No. You really don’t have to do that.”

“Yes,” Lena says, in an assertive voice. “I really _do_ , because there’s no way in hell I’m letting you take a bus or an Uber, with your finger bleeding all over the place." Then she looks at Kara with a fresh number of questions in her eyes. “Gosh, what on earth even happened? I mean, how on earth did you manage to cut your finger that badly?” Lena asks her. “From what I saw, it looked like you almost took it clean off.”

“I don’t know, the knife just sort of slipped,” Kara explains.

"Geez. You really can't be trusted around anything remotely sharp, can you?" Lena jokes, as she presses a comforting hand to Kara's shoulder, "I guess it's a good thing you spend 99% of your time being invulnerable."

 _I think it's time that I told you_  
_I'm a fan of your universe_  
_And every shade that you offer_  
_It's different but I know it works_  
_I'm addicted to the magic_  
_And the glow of the city lights_  
_I felt it in my veins just didn't know how to say it right_

Kara doesn’t tell her that it happened because she hadn’t been paying attention to what she was doing. She doesn’t tell Lena that it happened because she’d been utterly distracted by the way Lena was chewing at her bottom lip as she pulled the glass away from her lips. She doesn't tell her how she aches to kiss those alluring red-stained lips - how much that she thinks about doing so every single minute of every single day. She wishes more than anything that she were brave enough to say those words, or better yet, brave enough to just pull Lena into her and just claim those achingly appealing lips. She may be brave enough to stare down a fifteen foot alien with three heads, but she's not brave enough to tell her best friend that she's completely and utterly in love with her. And because of that, Kara knows that Lena isn’t hers and never _will_ _be_. Her best friend is dating James, and from what Lena had told her of their exploits, things are getting quite serious.

Lena drives Kara to the DEO, and waits patiently while Alex runs her usual tests on Kara in order to make sure that nothing out of the ordinary is going on. And despite Kara's numerous assurances that she doesn’t need to stay, Lena stays loyally and unfailingly at Kara’s side. She doesn’t even leave the room, when Alex uncovers the gruesome cut, and attempts to restore Kara’s finger back to some semblance of normalcy. Lena feels her chest tighten in empathy, as she takes in the way Kara’s face tightens in pain with each poke of the needle that is meant to stitch her back together. And so Lena does her best to distract the blonde. She cracks countless jokes about the situation, attempting to ease Kara's anxiety and the insecurities that come with being human again.

And Kara? Kara’s stomach flips just a little bit when Lena presses a gentle, lingering kiss to the bandage above the injury after Alex finishes.

"There," Lena smiles one of those signature mega-watt smiles of hers, and Kara actually forgets how to breathe. "All better?"

"Yeah," Kara admits as she looks away, trying to hide the sudden blush flushing her pale cheeks, "It feels much better now. Thank you."

"Of course," Lena tells her, with a warmth and affection in her voice. "That's what friends are for." Kara knows that Lena's words are meant to be comforting and reassuring, but instead they are anything but. They  _sting_ more than Kara would care to admit.

* * *

 

The next night, after nearly two bottles of wine and one too many thoughts of Lena, Kara slips out of her apartment. She walks into the heart of the city, letting the cool air lick at her skin. She walks until her feet start to throb and her hands start going numb. She feels her phone buzz several times in her pocket, and reluctantly pulls it out. She has to swallow over the sudden lump in her throat, when she sees the name name on its display. Kara hates herself for it, but she silences it, shoves it back into her pocket coat pocket, and keeps walking. Kara lets out a sharp breath, struggling to cope with the torrent of emotions that go rushing through her mind as a result. Her heart thunders in her ears for several frantic pulses, and Kara takes another deep breath in an effort to calm herself. She has no right to feel hurt. She has no right to punish Lena for her own feelings - her own shortcomings, but she can't face her. Not _tonight_. At that moment, Kara looks up, and her feet still on the concrete as her eyes lock onto the neon lights of the tattoo parlor across the street.

 _She said do you see me in black and white?_  
_Do you need me every day and night?_  
_I said I don't wanna dance with another_  
_We could feel this darkness with each other_

Suddenly an idea is popping into Kara’s head. It isn’t a good idea, per sé, but once it's there, it refuses to leave Kara alone. Kara’s heart begins to pound just a little harder, as she toys with the idea. She can't deny that she feels drawn to the building across the street. Part of her knows that she’s probably (most-likely) going to regret it later, but she can’t stop herself now. She jogs across all four lanes of traffic, and pushes her way inside with a chime of the door. Apart from the lone employee inside, the place is deserted.

“Evening, Miss,” a friendly, good-looking man with striking blue eyes greets her from his place behind the counter by the door. His arms are covered with tattoos of all kinds, and Kara can't help but find them beautiful. With a pang, she feels something settle in her stomach. Her decision is made. She’s going to do it. Rao help her, but she’s going to get a tattoo.

“Hey, do - do you take walk-ins?” Kara finds herself asking, as she wrings her hands nervously in front of her.

“That depends,” he smiles, “If I agree to take you on as a client, are you going to regret your decision tomorrow?”

“Probably,” Kara admits, as she shoves her hands into the pockets of her coat with a nervous laugh. “But it’s also something that I really need to do in order to move on. I need to do this.”

“Then, by all means,” he says, as he gestures to the counter where hundreds of designs stare up at her from beneath the glass countertop. “Have you given any sort of thought to what design you’d like?”

“I have,” Kara confirms. “But I'm afraid that none of these are remotely close to it.”

"Well, perhaps if you gave me a description, I could try to come up with something for you."

“Actually, If I draw it for you, would that work?” Kara questions. His answer is to push a piece of paper and a pen in her direction. With practiced movements, Kara draws the symbols from memory - symbols that she’s known by heart since her second birthday. She’s acutely aware that his eyes are following the lines taking shape on the paper. When she finishes, there are four letters on its surface. They're Kryptonian symbols, foreign in their obscurity, but perfectly elegant nonetheless. His brows knit together, as he struggles to make sense of them. Kara adds one final symbol, and as she finally finishes, she finally feels a calmness wash over her.

“What is it?” he asks her.

“It’s better if you don’t know the answer to that,” Kara tells him.

“But it’s significant to you?” he clarifies. “It’s something that you won’t mind having on your body for the rest of your life?”

“Yes,” Kara admits.

“And you really can’t tell me what it is?”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” Kara explains, “It’s just - In order for me to answer that question, I would have to tell you a whole lot of things about myself that I’m not exactly comfortable telling another living soul.”

“Alright, let me make a template from this,” he tells her, as if he really and truly understands her reasons for wanting to keep it to herself. “It should only take a couple of minutes. Feel free to have a seat while you wait.” Kara nods and takes a seat in one of the chairs by the door. She feels her phone going off in her pocket, but ignores it. She already knows who it is that's calling, and she’s not about to be dissuaded from what she’s going to do.

“I’m finished,” he announces, as he makes a reappearance a couple of minutes later. “I just need you to sign this paperwork and a waiver, then we should be ready to go.” Kara hops up. She walks forwards and fills out the appropriate paperwork with a trembling hand. The idea of what she is about to do, is already causing adrenaline to course through her body. She’s never particularly cared for needles, and here she is, voluntarily signing up to be engraved with one.

“Kara,” he reads off, as she slides it back over the counter towards him. “Is that your name? I like it. It's really pretty.”

Kara is pretty sure she blushes at the compliment. Her cheeks heat up exponentially as his bright blue eyes meet her own. He looks really handsome with a wide, unreserved smile on his face. One side of his cheek is adorned with a dimple, and Kara can’t help but find it, and him, appealing. Still, his handsomeness has nothing on Lena’s beauty. Once upon a time, she might have gone for someone like Ryan, but lately, the only person she’s had eyes for is Lena. And part of Kara knows that she can never go back to the way things were before. Lena is her soulmate, the one person that Kara believes Rao created for her to find.

 _Everyone's got their own light_  
_Some shine and they fade away_  
_Everyone's got a story_  
_Those change every single day_

Kara swallows hard over that thought. It hurts. She’s sure of it now. Lena was meant to be hers, and Kara had screwed it all up. She had fallen for the wrong person, and in the meantime, Lena had moved on. Kara will never quite be able to forgive herself for that. Her punishment now, is to live without the one person she constantly aches for. As torturous as that is, Kara will not let herself off the hook for her transgressions. Kara's still half convinced that superheroes like her and Clark aren't meant to be happy. Clark has told her on several occasions that being with Lois has made him a better hero - that it's made him stronger. But Kara's feelings for Lena seem like nothing more than a weakness. They've distracted her for weeks, months now, and have nearly gotten her killed on several occasions. She wishes she could go back to a time before she knew of her feelings for Lena. She wishes there was some way to due away with the agonizing pain she feels in her chest, but she has no other choice than to carry it. Kara can only hope that someday it won't hurt so very much.

Kara shakes herself out of her thoughts.

“Thanks,” Kara smiles.

“Hi, I’m Ryan,” he introduces himself. “I probably should have introduced myself to you before, but I kind of blame you for being distracting. Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?” Kara feels her pulse quicken as she realizes that he’s flirting with her. He tentatively holds out a hand for her to shake.

"No," Kara whispers, "I don't think anyone has ever put it quite that way before."

"Well, it's true," he chuckles. "I'm just putting that out there," he says with a flourish of his arm, as he gestures to her body, "You can do with that what you wish."

“Thanks. It’s good to meet you, Ryan,” Kara says with a laugh, as she reaches out and grasps his hand in her own. She’s careful not to apply too much pressure on it, as she gives his hand a shake. His eyes fall on her hand as she pulls it away, and on the bandage adorning her right pointer finger.

“What happened?” he can’t help but ask.

“Oh,” Kara laughs, “Well, _apparently_  I can’t be trusted to chop vegetables for dinner anymore. The knife bit me.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah,” Kara’s eyes are bright, as she laughs again. There’s a light behind them that hasn’t been there for a long time.

“Well,” Ryan clears his throat, “If you’re totally sure about this, you can follow me this way.” Kara nods, and follows him into the back room. There’s a table and a chair. “You know, the thought occurs to me that you never actually said where you’d like the tattoo.”

“Uh,” Kara clears her throat. “I’d actually like it here.” Kara lifts her hand to indicate a spot on her rib cage.

“Oh, whoa. Okay, that’s totally fine,” he tells her, “But I feel like I should be forthcoming in saying that that’s probably one of the worse places to get a tattoo. It’s pretty painful.”

“Oh,” Kara breathes sharply, “It is?”

“Yeah,” he laughs, “That’s my experience anyway.”

“Damn,” Kara laughs, her cheeks flushing with heat. “Well, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I still think I'd like to get it there anyway,” Kara says hesitantly.

“Alright,” he says with a slight inflection in his voice, “If you're sure?" Kara swallows.

"As sure as I'll ever be," she shoots back.

"Then I'm afraid that the time has come. I'm going to need you to take off your shirt,” he instructs. Kara nods, and reaches up to unbutton her shirt. When she’s finished unbuttoning it, she peels it off and drapes it over the back of the chair.

“Do I need to take off my bra, too?” Kara asks.

“Yeah, I’m afraid so,” he tells her. “But let me get a towel for you to cover yourself up with first," he orders her as he grabs a couple out of the cupboard, and hands it to her. "I’ll step out while you do that.”

“Thanks,” Kara tells him gratefully, as he hands her the towel, and slips out of the room. She takes off her bra and covers her breasts to the best of her ability. She starts to shiver, as the coolness of the room starts to have an effect on her body. She looks down to her arms, in order to see goosebumps erupting on the skin there. A couple of minutes later Ryan returns, and taps on the wall outside the door.

“Are you decent?” he asks her through the curtain.

“As decent as I can be without a shirt on,” Kara jokes. She’s aware that her voice sounds slightly breathless.

"Good to hear," he laughs good-naturedly. "I'm going to come in now, if that's okay?"

"Sure," Kara calls out, "Come right on in." Then, he pulls back the curtain.

He strides into the room and takes a seat, quickly readying everything he needs. He peels off the template and requests Kara’s help in placing it where she wants it. She does so quickly, pressing it down over her skin. She decides on a location near her heart, on her left ribcage.

“Right there?” he checks.

“Yeah,” Kara says resolutely. “That looks good.”

“Okay, then we’re ready to get started,” he announces finally, as he peels it off. leaving the outlines of the letters on her skin. “You want this all in black, correct? That’s what you checked on the sheet.”

“Yeah,” Kara responds.

“That’s good. That should make things a lot easier. It’ll make it go a lot faster, too.”

“Good,” Kara replies, with no shortage of relief in her voice. She flinches as he switches on the device. She grits her teeth together, as he lifts it closer to her bare skin.

“Do me a favor? Take a deep breath for me, and slowly let it out,” Ryan coaches her softly. She follows the instructions. “Good, Kara. That’s really good. Look, it’s going to hurt. I’m not going to lie about that. But if you need a break, you just let me know, and I’ll stop. Okay?”

“Okay,” Kara lets him know that she's heard him. Then, he brings the needle against her skin and she has to fight back a gasp. She can’t quite equate the sensation with anything else she’s experienced before, but it isn’t pleasant. 

Kara just closes her eyes, and reminds herself of why she’s doing this. Minutes pass, and Kara gets lost in her thoughts as she listens to the drone of the device clutched in Ryan’s steady, unwavering hand.

Kara is just about to request a break when he pulls away the device.

“And I think we’re done,” he announces with a wide, beaming smile on his face. He wipes away the residual ink for the last time, and switches off the device. Then he sets it down on the tray next to him. Kara’s eyes spring open, in order to catch him admiring his work. “It looks good,” he announces, as he hands her a mirror. She moves it so she can see the ink etched into her previously flawless skin, and she feels her heart clench in response. She had Lena’s name on her body now. And if her powers didn’t find a way to banish it from her body somehow, it would always be there.

“It looks great, Ryan,” Kara says with an appreciative smile on her face. The words sound a little thicker than she’s used to, and Kara suddenly realizes that it’s because she’s crying.

“Hey,” he looks worried for a moment. He reaches out to press a comforting hand to Kara's shoulder, but hesitates at the last moment, pulling it back. “Kara, is everything okay?"

“No, but I think it's going to be,” Kara offers him a sad smile, as she hastily reaches up to wipe away her tears, trying to erase all evidence of them.

"Look," Ryan sighs, "I know I'm pretty much a complete stranger to you, but if you ever need to talk to someone, I'm here. I probably shouldn't brag, but I've been told that I'm a really good listener."

Kara laughs, then. "You really don't want to hear about it. Trust me."

"Even so," he tells her softly, "If you ever change your mind and want to talk about it, I'm here."

“Thank you. That means a lot to me. Thank you for doing this, Ryan.”

“You’re welcome,” he says as he gives her a gentle and reassuring smile. “I’m just going to clean it, and put a bandage over it. Then you can get dressed and get out of here. I’ll give you a sheet with all of the particulars, but there are some instructions that you need to adhere to for the next couple of weeks while it heals.”

“Understood,” Kara tells him with a mock salute.

“You’re a riot, Kara,” he laughs. "Feel free to come back any time."

Minutes later, when Kara steps back out into the cold night, she feels more at peace with herself and her feelings than she has in weeks - months even. She has a secret now, one that she knows will probably come out eventually. After all, Alex is far too observant for her own good. But Lena? Lena will never know. She will never know that Kara belongs to her now. She’ll never know that her name – that her soul, is a part of Kara's forevermore. And for now, that’s enough. Kara can finally begin to move on and find a way to move past this.

Kara lets herself get lost in her thoughts as she wanders back home. It’s late now, and the buses aren’t running, so Kara walks, and walks, and walks. She’s so tired when she gets home that she almost doesn’t notice the figure sitting in front of her door, until Lena moves. Kara freezes halfway down the hallway. She's about to turn around, and sneak out of there, when Lena looks up and catches her eyes. It's too late now.

 _Cause when I look at you I see colors_  
_When I look at you I see colors_

“Kara,” Lena breathes, as her eyes find Kara in the middle of the hallway. Kara suddenly hesitates, and her steps falter, before coming to an abrupt stop. Lena notes how Kara's hands are shoved deep into her coat pockets, and she suspects that if she had x-ray vision like Kara, that she would see the blonde's hands were curled into tight fists. She quickly pushes herself to her feet. “Hey, I’ve been worried sick about you,” Lena admits, in a wavering voice. “Why haven’t you been answering any of my calls?”

“Sorry,” Kara apologizes, as she looks away. She's suddenly unable to meet Lena's eyes, and that in of itself is very telling. “I just wasn’t really in the mood to talk.”

“Hey,” Lena's expression softens, and her voice is suddenly full of concern. “Is everything alright?" Then before Kara can answer, she asks what she considers to be the more important question. "What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing,” Kara mutters shortly, her jaw clenching as she has to bite back the sound of frustration that threatens to seep into her voice. Lena sees the muscles tense in her temples. "Everything is fine, Lena. I just needed to clear my head."

“That's a _lie_ ,” Lena shakes her head warily, unwilling and unable to accept Kara's answer when it's clearly a lie. “Something is going on with you. I'm just not sure what it is." Lena rakes in a deep breath, "You've been shutting me out these last few weeks. I - I've tried to be patient. I've tried to give you space while I waited for you to be ready to talk about it. But instead, all you've done is push me farther and farther away. I thought that last night would change things. I thought it would make things better between us, but it only seems to have made it _worse_. So now? Now I really need you to tell me what's wrong. Because I don’t understand it. I don't know what to do!” Kara feels her heart clench as she detects the helplessness and exasperation in Lena's voice. Lena is afraid of losing her. "You're my best friend, Kara, and I just can't ignore this any longer and hope that it goes away. I'm losing you. I don't know why, but I am losing you, and you're too damned important to me for me to just...let go."

“Lena,” Kara murmurs, her voice holding a hint of a warning in it.

“Have I done something?” Lena asks worriedly. Kara struggles not to take in the lines marring Lena's beautiful face, but even they are too blatant to ignore. Lena is fighting them, but Kara can see tears in her eyes. Kara feels unbearably guilty for causing her friend such pain. “ _Please_ , Kara! Just tell me! Have I done something to upset you? Because if I have, you can tell me. I - I really want to fix it, but I can't do that if you won’t tell me what it is that I've done.”

“It’s not you!” Kara bursts out. Her voice is full of agony as she wrenches her hands out of her pockets. Kara’s voice calms a bit as she says, “Okay? It’s me. I know that you won't believe me when I say this, but it's _me_.  _I’m_ the problem, Lena, not you. Rao, you’re such a good friend and such a good person. You're just - you're amazing.” Kara's voice breaks on her last words, as the emotions become too much for her to bear. Lena sees the tears building in Kara's eyes, and her expression softens. All she wants is to make things better. She can't stand seeing Kara in pain. "You're _perfect_ , and I'm  _me_. All I'm ever going to be to you is a _disappointment_." Kara loses it then, and a sob breaks free. She hates her traitorous voice for breaking on her.

“Kara,” Lena’s voice is soft and apologetic as she steps forwards to reach out for Kara’s hand. Her previous expression cracks a little, as she lets her love and affection for Kara show in those few short moments. But Kara shuts her off at every turn. She just takes a step back and shakes her head, while trying to ignore the way Lena’s expression falls and tightens exponentially after her rejection.

“Please _d_ _on’t_ ,” Kara whispers, pleading with Lena. “Please don’t touch me right now. That’s only going to make me feel a thousand times worse.”

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Lena can't help but ask, as she meets Kara's eyes. What she finds there, troubles Lena immensely. Usually Kara's eyes are so bright, so vibrant, but as she looks at them now, there's not a hint of that light within them. Kara's eyes are dark and stormy, like the sky at the peak of a tempest, and that scares her. What on earth could have happened to rob Kara of her light? "Damn it, Kara. Why are you looking at me with so much contempt right now?"

“I'm not,” Kara says in a defiant voice, but it's weak enough that it doesn't hold much conviction in it. Again, Lena detects that Kara is lying. "I'm _not_ , Lena."

"You _are_ ," Lena refutes. "God knows that I've seen that look enough in my lifetime to know what it is."

"What do you want from me, Lena?" Kara asks her in frustration.

"I _want_ you to talk to me," Lena bursts out angrily. "You're my friend! I want you to tell me what's wrong! I want the truth!"

“Well, I don't _want_ talk about it," Kara nearly shouts. Lena flinches, at the degree of coolness in Kara's voice. It's detachment that Kara is looking at her with, and it's just a little too much for her to bear. The truth is, she doesn't think she can handle the way Kara is looking at her right now. She could handle just about anyone looking at her like that, but not Kara. _Never_ Kara.

"Yeah? Well, I don't care! Because you _need_ to," Lena murmurs, her voice quavering out of hurt, "I've had enough of being treated this way, Kara. I deserve better than that from the woman I call my best friend."

"Fine, I'm - I'm upset," Kara admits, as she looks away, "Okay?" Her breaths are coming heavier than she's used to, and Kara realizes it's because she's trying not to cry.

"Why?"

"Look, I want you to be happy, Lena," Kara confesses, after taking another calming breath. Kara reaches up to hastily wipe away an errant tear before she continues, and unintentionally draws Lena's attention to the fact that she's crying.

"I’m thrilled that you’ve found that with James, but it’s hard, okay? It's hard seeing that happiness. It’s hard, hearing it in your voice when you talk about him all of the time, because I – I will _never_ have that. The one time that I was truly happy in my life, I lost it. You know how hard that was on me. You know how devastated I was after losing Mon-El. And  _Rao_ , I – I thought I had finally found love again with someone else, but the person I’m in love with, is with someone else. Not only that, but they’re so _happy_. And I just..." Kara's voice cracks on her words, and she has to stop for a moment before she can continue, "can’t look at you. I can't be with you, because it _hurts_. In fact, every time I see you smile, it feels like I'm being slowly gutted alive. Because you and James? It's a _constant_ reminder of what I'll never have.”

“What?” Lena’s eyes flare brightly as she feels alarmed by Kara's response. Kara has never told her any of this before, and it sparks something inside of Lena that she thought she'd extinguished long ago. “You’ve never told me any of this.” Then. “Why haven't you ever told me how you feel?”

“Because I couldn’t!” Kara says, with a flash of her own eyes. “Look, I want to be happy for you. I wanted to be the supportive friend you deserve, but I can’t. So I decided that maybe it would just be better if I didn’t see you for a while. That's why I didn't take any of your calls tonight. I needed some space.”

“Okay,” Lena hisses, as her jaw clenches in anger and hurt, “Fine. Maybe it would be better if we didn’t see each other anymore.”

“Lena,” Kara’s voice is remorseful as she sees the degree of hurt in Lena’s eyes. She wants to tell Lena that it isn’t what she meant. She doesn’t want to lose Lena’s friendship. But at the same time, she knows she needs time to get over this. She needs time to work through all of this pains he feels. Maybe it would be better if she had some distance.

“No,” Lena mutters angrily, her voice holding a tinge of coldness and detachment to it, “If that’s truly how you feel, then who am I to stop you?” Lena hisses as she throws up her hands. “Let's just forget _everything_ that you and I have been through together - let’s just throw it out the fucking window because you _resent_ me for being happy.”

“Lena, please,” Kara’s voice is suddenly begging, pleading for her to be heard, “That’s not what I meant. That’s not what I meant at all, and you know it!”

"No, I think I heard you just fine," Lena retorts. This time, Lena is the one looking at Kara with undeniable contempt.

“God, what a waste this is. I - I thought we were friends,” Lena’s words hold a hell of a lot of bite behind them, as she scoffs, “I guess that shows you how much I know. We're - We're done, Kara.” And then she’s shouldering her way past Kara, before Kara can even react. Kara tries to grab a hold of Lena’s hand – tries to stop her friend from leaving, but it’s too late. It's too late to undo all of the damage that she’s done to their relationship. Lena tugs her hand out of Kara’s with a little too much force behind it, and Kara staggers backwards into the wall. Kara grunts as the air is pushed clean out of her lungs by the impact. By the time Kara straightens up again, Lena is gone.

Kara just stands there, remaining frozen for several long minutes, before she loses it - loses all control. Finally, she just sinks to the floor, and sobs. She's lost _her_. She's lost her best friend.

* * *

 

It is several weeks later, when Lena pushes her way through the front doors of the DEO with a loud bang of the doors. She’s disheveled, and scared, and more than a little breathless as she sprints her way through the security checkpoint, and past the two officers that are posted there. She hears the metal detectors going off behind her, as the metal of her bracelet sets it off.

“Miss! Miss, you’re not authorized to be in here!” one of the men calls out after her. But his protests go unheard. She sprints across the lobby toward the elevator, and elbows a man clothed in black as he grabs a hold of her arm, attempting to detain her. She manages to pull her arm out of his hold and manages to get away from him. She rushes towards the nearby staircase, and bursts inside, with another bang of the door. She wrenches her heels from her feet, and starts running up flight after flight of stairs in her bare feet. Her heart is pounding, her lungs are heaving, as she struggles to breathe in enough oxygen to supply the muscles in her body. But she can’t seem to get enough. No matter what she does, she can't seem to breathe. A sob bursts forth from her throat as images of Supergirl’s earlier fight flash through her mind in rapid succession. She tries not to see it – she tries not to picture the look on Kara’s face at the exact moment her best friend was impaled on the two foot long eerie green blade. But for some reason, she can’t _stop_ seeing it. She can’t stop hearing her last hateful words to Kara echoing around in her head.

She's going to lose her. She's sure she's going to lose the love of her life, and that thought is absolutely terrifying. But nothing is quite so bad as the knowledge that Kara is never going to know how she feels about her. She's never going to know how unbelievably in love with her Lena is.

After what seems like hours, and far too many stairs, Lena reaches the medical floor and bursts out into the hall. She rushes towards the room where she knows Kara is brought after things go wrong, but she doesn’t make it. At that precise moment, Alex walks out of the room at the end of the hall, and rushes forwards. She intercepts Lena before she can get so much as a single look into the room beyond.

“Lena,” Alex’s voice is surprisingly gentle, and sympathetic, as she grabs Lena by the shoulders and halts her forward progress. Then she carefully starts easing Lena backwards. “Lena, what are you doing here? You can't be here.”

“Please,” Lena begs her through a thin sheen of tears, “I saw what happened on the news. I have to see her. _Please_.”

“Lena,” Alex gently leads her into a private room and sits her down, before kneeling down in front of her. She grabs a hold of Lena's trembling hands in her own. “Look, I know how much you care about her. I know how much you love her, but Kara – Kara is in really bad shape. You don’t want to see her right now.”

“Alex,” Lena’s voice is utterly broken as she tugs her hand out of Alex's and reaches up to wipe at her tears. “Please, I’m begging you. I don’t - I don't _care_! I _need_ to see her.”

“Seeing the kind of condition she’s in right now, is not going to do you any favors, Lena,” Alex says sternly. “No one should have to see her like this. She wouldn't want that.”

“ _Please!_  I said things,” Lena suddenly can’t stop the gut-wrenching sobs from escaping, “We had a fight a few weeks ago, and I said horrible, unforgivable things to her, Alex. I made it sound like we weren't friends anymore, because I was hurt. That _can’t_ be the last thing I ever say to her. _Please_.” A look of gentle understanding passes across Alex's face, then, and Lena thinks that maybe Alex finally understands.

"There's more to it, isn't there?" Alex asks.

"Yes," Lena admits. 

"You're in love with her?" Alex questions.

"Yes." And nothing else needs to be said on the matter. Alex suddenly has a peculiar look on her face. It looks as if she knows something that Lena doesn't and wants to tell her, but isn't sure if she can.

"I don't know what she told you, but-" Lena begins, but Alex cuts her off with a few words.

"She told me it was her fault," Alex breathes.

"What?" Lena's voice cracks under the implications.

"That night, she was so upset. God, I'd never seen her like that before. She was - She was practically inconsolable. I asked her what happened, and she told me that you two had a fight," Alex recounts. "I was prepared to march over there and tear you a new one, but Kara - Kara stopped me before I got halfway across the room. She explained everything. She told me what the fight was about. It took me a little while, but I finally understood.  I told her that she should try to apologize, but she seemed to be under the impression that it was too late to fix it. She said she'd lost you." Lena lets out a sharp breath as she tries to take in everything that Alex was telling her. "She was under the impression that you never wanted to see her again."

"Oh," Lena exhales, as her heart breaks. It was true. She'd implied as much to Kara after their fight.

"Lena-" Alex sighs.

"Did she tell you why she'd been so distant? Why she pulled away from me?" Lena can't help but ask. "Because that's all I wanted to know."

"Yes," Alex nods, "But it's not my place to talk about it. I promised Kara that it would stay between us."

"Alex-"

"I know you want me to tell you," Alex says as if she truly understands, "And I understand where you're coming from. I understand how you must feel. But you also need to understand something else, Lena. You're not the only one that stands to get hurt in this situation. There's a good reason why she's kept it to herself, and I just can't betray her trust like that. I won't do it. As much as I like you Lena, I can't give you all of the answers that you want. I'm sorry."

"Okay," Lena nods. She decides to ask for something else. "Can I see her?"

"Lena," Alex shakes her head. "I don't know."

"Alex," Lena breathes softly. " _Please,"_ she begs her. Lena can't take the waiting any longer.

“Yeah," Alex relents, her words little more than a puff of air, “Okay. But you need to prepare yourself for what you’re about to see. She’s had a few surgeries to repair most of the damage to her abdomen, but even so, she lost a lot of blood before we were able to get her here in order to operate. She’s – She’s really pale, and if I'm being honest, she doesn’t look much like Kara at this point. You need to be prepared for that.”

"How bad was it?" Lena asks. "What were her injuries like?"

"Catastrophic," Alex answers honestly, "If it had been anyone else, they likely would have died. But, fortunately, Kara is strong"

Lena opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out except for a harsh squeak. Her words and her voice ultimately fail her.

“I think that the worst part for you, is going to be the breathing tube,” Alex admits in a quiet voice. “So you need to prepare yourself for that.”

“She’s not breathing on her own?” Lena almost chokes on the implications.

“Not yet,” Alex shakes her head. “No. We elected to leave the breathing tube in after her surgeries.”

“Is she going to?”

“Yes,” Alex says confidently. “We’re just taking any added stress off of her body, for now. The tube will most likely come out tomorrow, if we think she’s strong enough to handle the responsibility.”

Alex gives Lena’s hand a gentle squeeze, and stands. She leads Lena back into the hall, and walks her the rest of the way down the hallway. She pauses outside of the glass door for a fraction of a moment, attempting to give Lena the time she needs to prepare herself, before she pushes open the door.

"I'll give you some time alone with her," Alex tells her. "Give me a shout if you need anything. I'll be right outside." Lena nods.

She steps inside on shaking limbs. Her heart is suddenly in her throat as she takes in the sight of Kara for the first time since that night all those weeks ago. The only thing that steadies her, is the strength and the evenness of the heartbeat echoing through the small glass room. As she moves further into the dimmed room, she uses the cadence of Kara’s heartbeat to steady her footsteps, timing her steps to the beats of Kara's heart. Kara is on a flat table in the center of the room, lying in the midst of a sea of tangled wires and tubing, and Lena realizes that Alex hadn't been lying. Kara doesn’t look much like herself at all. In fact, she looks more dead than alive. Her complexion is pale and slightly cyanotic. Her cheeks are bruised and swollen, and there’s purple discoloration in the circles below Kara’s eyes. Bandages cover most of her torso, hiding the damage wrought by the blade, but Lena knows that it must be severe.

Lena slowly walks over towards the heart monitor, and her eyes fixate on it as she watches each new peak move idly across its screen. Then, Lena turns away from it, and focuses her attention on the sole occupant of the room.

The sunlamps above Kara serve as the only light-source in the room, but it's more than enough light to illuminate the whole space. They provide an intense, rich, and brilliant orange light.  However, even they can't seem to bring back the color and the warmth in Kara's pale cheeks. Lena closes her eyes and plants her hands on the edge of the table, leaning against it with her arms, as she attempts to hold herself up. She's surprised, when she feels the heat radiating from the sunlamps and realizes that it feels just as good as the real thing. In fact, with her eyes closed, Lena wouldn't even be able to tell the difference. It feels just like bathing in the sun on a warm summer's day. Lena opens her eyes, focusing for a moment on Kara's face, before she realizes she's not ready for the reality of this, yet. She never will be. Because it's Kara - it's the love of her life and she doesn't know what she'd do if she lost her.

Lena can hear the even tick of the respirator as the machine delivers carefully measured breaths, in short intervals. Kara's chest rises and falls in tandem with the machine, but her breaths are entirely artificial and don't seem right to Lena's mind at all. However, what strikes Lena the most, is how fragile and small the unshakable hero looks like this. It's hard to process what she is looking at.

She walks over to Kara's bedside, and sinks down into the chair next to the bed, before tentatively and carefully grabbing Kara’s hand in her own. She lifts it to her lips, and presses a long, lingering kiss into the icy skin, as a fresh sob escapes her throat.

“ _Kara_ ,” Lena’s voice breaks, as she struggles to speak the blonde’s name for the first time in weeks. “Kara, I’m so sorry.” Lena’s head drops forwards onto Kara’s thigh, buying her face in the blankets there. Lena Luthor has never been a crier. In fact, she prides herself on being strong. But seeing Kara like this was too much. Before she can stop it, she loses hold of her emotions, and begins sobbing into the blankets covering Kara's legs. “I love you. I love you and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for what I said. I was just scared of losing you.  _Please_ … I can't ever lose you, Kara. I need you to be okay.” _Please don’t leave me like this._

She hopes that her words will change something. She knows that it's stupid, but she honestly thought she could wake Kara through sheer will. She's always believed that people in these situations could hear what was being said - that they were aware of what was happening around them, but Kara seems so utterly lost to her now. She waits, but nothing changes and it breaks her heart. Still, Lena stays. She refuses to leave Kara's side, and so she sleeps in an uncomfortable chair in the small, icy room. She wakes to a painful crook in her neck and shoulder, and _still_ she does not get up from her chair. In the morning, Alex brings her food and makes Lena eat, even though it’s the last possible thing on Lena’s mind. The food tastes like cardboard and Lena has to chew all of it just little too much in order to force it down, but it's _sustenance_.

It’s when Alex is changing Kara’s bandages, that Lena notices it for the first time. Her heart rate quickens as she sees the ink adorning Kara’s skin for the first time.

“What’s that?” Lena asks, with her suddenly heart in her throat.

“That? Why that would be what we earthlings call a _tattoo_ ,” Alex laughs.

“Well, I know that, silly,” Lena shoots back, as she gives Alex a playful shove. “I just meant…” Lena’s thoughts darken, as she imagines Kara getting the tattoo. “I didn’t know that she had one. Hell, I didn't think it was even _possible_ for her to have one.”

“It’s recent,” Alex reveals. “She got it a few weeks ago when she blew out her powers, I guess,” Alex shrugs. “I tried talking to her about it, but she was rather secretive about it and what it means.”

Lena swallows, as her fingers dart out to trace the symbols on Kara’s ribcage.

“They’re beautiful,” Lena, admits, as her fingers slide over Kara’s skin. “I – I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere before.”

“They're Kryptonian,” Alex tells her softly, and Lena suddenly knows where she's seen them before. They were in one of Lex's journals.

“You really don’t know what they mean?” Lena finds herself asking.

“I might have an inkling, but it's not really my place to say,” Alex shakes her head. “As I said, she was very secretive about it all, and I know better than to force the issue.” Then. “I’ve decided to let the matter rest for now. She'll tell me about it _if_ and _when_ she wants to.”

More than a half of a day later, Lena is still tracing those symbols, engraining them into her mind forevermore. She wasn’t lying when she said that they were beautiful. And it wouldn't be much of a stretch to say that she really loves the tattoo. But mainly, she loves the way it looks against Kara's pale skin. Lena's eyes dart back to Kara's face. Her color is slowly coming back, making Kara seem life-like and _alive_ again.

In the afternoon, Alex takes out the breathing tube, and Lena watches with rapt attention as Kara draws her first breath, breathing on her own for the first time since being impaled on the kryptonite blade two days ago.

And when Kara’s eyes finally blink open for the first time, Lena’s bright green eyes are right there waiting for her own.

"Hey," Lena's voice is undeniably warm and affectionate, as she touches Kara like she's the center of her universe, "Hey, you. I can't even tell you how good it is to see those beautiful blue eyes of yours again. I've missed them so."

“Lee?” Kara almost croaks, as she licks at her dry lips. Her throat feels unbearably dry – so dry, in fact, that Kara can scarcely swallow.

“Yeah,” Lena breathes. “It’s me,” Lena says in a soft voice, as she brushes a strand of hair from Kara’s eyes with her fingertips.

“What are you doing here? What happened?” Kara questions. Her memories of the last few days are practically non-existent. It's all a jumbled mess.

“You mean you don’t remember?” Lena asks worriedly, as the muscles in her forehead and jaw tighten in concern.

“No,” Kara admits. “I – I think I was–“ Kara’s eyes momentarily alight in panic, and Lena has to hold her down as Kara reaches up to her abdomen with a gasp of pain. Lena knows that Kara is reliving what happened to her, and perhaps even feeling the pain of it all, all over again.

“Easy,” Lena finds herself coaching Kara, as she carefully grapples with her, holding her down against the table. “Easy, Kara. It’s okay. You’re okay.”

But the sob that bursts forth from Kara’s throat rips Lena’s heart to shreds. She leans down, allowing the blonde to cling to her, as Kara seeks the comfort of her embrace. “Shh,” she soothes as she holds Kara against her. “Shh. You’re okay,” Lena promises. “You’re going to be okay.”

“I -I thought for sure –“ Kara’s voice trails off, with a shuddering breath, and Lena’s mind instantly fills in the blanks. Kara had thought she was going to die. And if she was being honest, Lena had honestly thought so, too.

"I know," Lena whispers. "I know, me too. When I saw it on the news, I - I honestly thought I was going to lose you, but you're okay. You're _okay_ , Kara."

* * *

 

It isn’t until a couple of days later, that Lena broaches the topic for the first time.

“So,” Lena teases, “You have a _tattoo_.” Lena tries to ignore the strange look that passes across Kara’s face, and the sharp breath that escapes Kara’s lungs, as she meets Lena’s penetrating stare. Kara’s hand subconsciously reaches up to cover it, attempting to hide it from Lena's eyes.

“Yeah,” Kara swallows.

“I didn’t know,” Lena tells her with a thoughtful look in her bright green eyes. “I mean, you've never mentioned having one, and I've told you all about mine.”

“That's cause it’s recent,” Kara admits, "And we weren't exactly speaking at the time."

"What is it, if you don’t mind me asking?” Lena questions, “I mean, I know that they're Kryptonian symbols, but what do they mean?”

“It's personal,” Is Kara’s cutting reply. She tries to make it clear that the topic is closed for discussion, but Lena is stubborn.

“Kara,” Lena sighs. She wishes that Kara wasn’t so defensive.

“It really wouldn’t mean anything to you, okay?” Kara says with a flash of her bright blue eyes. “So can you just leave it alone? Please?”

"Yeah," Lena relents, "Okay."

And Lena tries to leave it alone. She really does. But about a week later, after she’s had one too many glasses of wine, she can’t help herself. The thought has been eating her alive for the better part of a week, and she needs to know. She wants to know what on earth could be so important that Kara would want to inscribe it on her body for the rest of time.

So Lena goes through some of Lex's old things, and digs out one of his old journals. She starts paging her way through his notebooks, because surely there's something in his notes that can uncover its meaning. Lena knows that he spent an inordinate time deciphering the alien language while trying to learn about Superman and his heritage. Finally, she finds what she’s looking for, and pulls out its pages. Lena frowns as she realizes that the written symbols are far more complex than she could have ever imagined. She starts searching for symbols that even vaguely resemble the ones she saw on Kara's skin. She sketches the tattoo from memory. This is a relatively easy task. After all, Kara's tattoo and its symbols have become permanently engraved into her memory. Her fingers trace the lines on the paper, and Lena lets out a tremulous breath as she remembers what it was like to trace them on Kara's warm, smooth, and bare skin.

The line that stretches over the symbols, seems to draw them all together, and Lena doesn't quite know its significance. So, instead, she focuses on the symbols below it.

After a bit of searching, Lena finds the first symbol. It looks vaguely like a sideways heart, that isn't quite complete. It’s a single letter. Lena’s heart stutters in her chest as she realizes it's an L. Lena writes it down on the scrap piece of paper below her drawing. She finds the second symbol quickly, and feels her throat constrict, as she realizes that it’s an E. Lena becomes impatient as she has a much harder time locating the third symbol, but she eventually does. It’s an N. Lena swallows. She feels mildly nauseated, as she realizes that she already knows what the final letter is.

Even so, when Lena finds the final symbol - which is basically an upside down version of the second one - she’s sure there has to be some sort of mistake. She must not be remembering the tattoo correctly. Because there is no _logical_ reason that Lena can think of that Kara would have her name inscribed on her body. Lena double checks, _triple_ checks Lex's notes, but comes up with the same result every single time. At first there is confusion. But then confusion transforms into incredulousness, and incredulousness turns into anger. Before Lena can rethink her decision, she jumps up from the table, grabbing her purse on her way out the door. So many emotions are running through her mind, and she lets herself get carried away by them. But one thing is for sure. She's going to get some answers from Kara if it damned well kills her.

* * *

 

 _She said do you see me in shades of grey?_  
_Do you need me like I need you that way?_  
_I say I don't wanna lay with another_  
_We could feel this quiet with each other_

Kara awakens in the early hours of the morning to the thunderous and relentless pounding of a fist at her door. A sharp gasp escapes her lips, as her eyes spring open in a panic and reality comes crashing back in. Her breaths come heavy and fast, as she quickly pushes herself up into a seated position. Kara can't help but feel as if she's gone from 0 to 60 in no time at all. It takes a second before Kara finally manages to push most of the fear back down.

She groans as she presses a hand to her stomach, drawing her knees up towards it, as she tries to ease the twinges of pain that shoot across her abdomen. Kara is paying the price for her earlier carelessness. She's been making an effort to avoid using muscles that have yet to fully heal, but in her haste to get out of bed Kara had failed to be as careful as she should have. She tries desperately not to think about the pain, but the memory of her run-in the kryptonite blade is still fresh in Kara's mind. She knows it will be for a long time to come.

Kara slowly blinks the sleep from her eyes, before looking to the door. She uses her x-ray vision to find the figure standing on the other side of it, and her heartrate quickens as she realizes it's Lena. Kara quickly scrambles out of bed and rushes over towards the door, shaking the floor as she walks. Her brows knit together in confusion, as she silently wonders why on earth Lena is at her place at two in the morning. But that doesn't stop her from opening the door in order to find out. With a flick of her wrist, Kara pulls open the door, and she feels her breath catch, as she sees the look of barely restrained fury on Lena’s beautiful face.

“Lena,” Kara breathes.

“You _lied_ to me,” Lena bursts out, practically bristling under Kara's stare. “You promised that you wouldn’t ever lie to me again, and then you turned right around and did it _again_. You told me that it wouldn’t mean anything to me, but you knew damned well that it would!”

“Lena,” Kara feels utterly and completely lost as she asks, “What in the hell are you talking about?”

“It’s my name!” Lena exclaims accusingly, as she walks past Kara and enters her apartment, “It’s my fucking  _name_ on your ribcage, Kara.”

“Oh, Rao,” Kara is momentarily reeling, as she lets Lena’s words settle on her shoulders. This was not supposed to be happening. She could never possibly be prepared for this moment. Kara feels like she's about to lose Lena all over again. “This isn't happening right now.”

“But it is!” Lena’s voice is undeniably hurt, as she speaks. “It _is_ happening.” She doesn’t give Kara a chance to respond, before she’s asking. “Where in the hell do you get off, Kara? What in the _hell_ gives you any right to do that?” Then. “How could you?"

“You weren’t supposed to know!” Kara shoots back in exasperation, as she throws up her hands and meets Lena’s blazing green glare, “You were  _never_ supposed to know about it, Lena. That’s kind of the whole _point_ of it.  It – It was supposed to be a  _secret_. You're so quick to anger, but have you ever stopped to ask yourself _why_ I got it in a place that was hidden away? I did so because it was _private_! I never wanted you to see it!” Lena flounders, as she gets lost in Kara’s suddenly defeated expression. She can see the sudden exhaustion in Kara's face. But more than that, she can see the guilt and the hurt eating away at her best friend, as she looks deep into bright blue eyes that she'd fallen in love with so long ago.

“The night that I had it done, I thought, ‘what’s the harm in it?’” Kara reveals, “You were never going to know what it was or what you meant to me, but then you saw the tattoo and I - I panicked.”

 _Cause when I look at you I see colors_  
_When I look at you I see colors_  
_I see colors_  
_I see colors_

“So you lied?” Lena questions, her voice weighted with feelings of betrayal.

“Of course I lied!” Kara retorts, almost shouts, “What was I supposed to say?" Then sarcastically, she shouts, "Oh yeah, Lena, it’s your _name_! I have your name tattooed on my _ribcage_.”

Lena lets out a sound halfway between an exasperated groan and some sort of a growl. She shakes her head, as if she can't bear to look at Kara anymore, and then turns, moving back towards the door. Kara thinks she’s about to leave, but then she turns back to ask Kara one final question.

“Why?” that question hits Kara like a punch to the stomach.

“Why what?” Kara asks in a quiet, defeated voice.

“Why did you do it?” Lena has to ask. "Because at the very least, I think I deserve to know the answer to that question."

“I’m pretty sure that you already know the answer to that question, Lena,” Kara laughs, as she shakes her head in defeat. Her laugh sounds eerily hollow, as it passes through the air between them.

“You’re probably right, but I need to hear you say it,” Lena confesses as she glances up from the floor, in order to meet Kara's gaze. "I need to hear you say the words out loud."

“Lena,” Kara exhales, as she reaches up to run her hands over her face, "Don't do this. _Please don't do this_." She scrubs at it roughly for a few moments, draws in a deep breath, and then lets out another harsh one, as she tries to summon up the nerve to answer her.

“ _Say_ _it_ ,” Lena orders her suddenly, impatiently, her words sounding increasingly unhinged with each passing moment. “Damn it, Kara. Just say it!”

Kara just shakes her head, but changes her mind at the last minute. She knows that she’s already done irreparable damage to their relationship, so she figures that she might as well just come out with it and tell Lena the truth. Because Lena is right about one thing, she deserves to know why Kara has ruined _everything_.

“Because I’m in love with you!” Kara cries out finally, with her words so full of exasperation that the truth and sincerity of them could never be denied. Kara suddenly feels like her heart is in her throat, as she continues on with overwhelming passion and conviction lingering beneath her words. “I - I know that you’ll probably never fully understand my reasons for doing it, but I needed to move on, and this was the best way that I could think of to do that. Look, I know - I know that you’re angry, Lena, and the truth is that you have every _right_ to be. The fact is, I shouldn't have lied to you. It's just that I - I didn't know _how_ to tell you about what I was feeling. I didn't want to _lose you_." Lena stops breathing as she listens to Kara's every word. There's so much feeling and emotion beneath Kara's words that it's almost as if Lena can feel them pulling at her, eliciting reactions in her body.

"I was terrified of what it would mean. After all, I had only just gotten you back, and I couldn't bear the thought of you being gone from my life again. You mean so much to me, Lena, and I just couldn't - I couldn't lose you," Lena feels her heart shatter as she realizes that Kara is crying now. She can see the glossy sheen in Kara's bright blue eyes, and it absolutely destroys her. "I know that It doesn't excuse what I did, but I didn't ever want you to look at me in the way that you are looking at me right now. Because it honestly feels like it's _killing me_. I would totally understand it if you need some space, or if you don’t want to be my friend anymore, but I love you… I love you and as much as I've tried, I can’t _stop_ _._ ” Kara's voice cuts off as a harsh sob tears its way through her throat, and she lifts up a hand to her mouth as if to stifle the sound. And Lena? Lena feels her heart break. All of her earlier anger is gone, and in it's place is something markedly different. She feels desperation. Every fiber of Lena's being is suddenly crying out, begging for her to take action. 

All she knows is she can't bear to watch Kara hurt like this anymore. The truth is, it feels like it's killing her, to see Kara in this much pain. She wants nothing more than to wrap her arms around Kara and profess her love. And so - that is precisely what she is going to do.

She can’t keep herself from moving towards where Kara stands in the middle of the room. It’s like Kara’s a magnet, and she’s a particle caught up in her magnetic field. Slowly, Lena starts to close the distance between them, first with one hesitant step, and then with one slightly more confident one. She quickly finds her stride, and closes the distance between them.

“I wouldn't blame you if you,” Kara tells her as stares into the floor beneath her feet, “hated me, but I-“ Lena swallows Kara’s next words, as she grabs a hold of Kara's face in her hands, and crashes her lips against Kara’s in desperation. Kara staggers backwards from the force with which Lena crashes into her. Lena's kiss doesn't abate. For one heart stopping moment, Kara stiffens against her – remains rigid in her hold, but then she’s gloriously kissing Lena back and nothing else matters. The smell of Lena's perfume is suddenly everywhere as Kara inhales, and she becomes overwhelmed by it. Lena moans as she feels Kara reach up to her cheeks, holding Lena’s face tenderly in her hands as she kisses her back with every emotion that she's been holding back for so long. Lena’s fingers slide to the back of Kara’s neck, her nails scraping faintly against the nape of her neck as she keeps a gentle hold there. Her long eyelashes flutter, as she kisses the softest lips she’s ever tasted. Kara's lips are so much softer than she could have ever imagined. Lena’s lips part, and she can’t stop the moan from escaping, as she feels Kara’s tongue push its way inside of her mouth, in order to mate with her own. Her first taste of Kara is salty, likely from Kara's tears, but then the sweet taste lingering on Kara's tongue quickly overpowers everything else. And Lena is in love. She's in love with the way that Kara tastes. All Lena can think about, is Kara. Kara. _Kara_.

Kara is kissing her. The woman that she's yearned for for so long, is kissing her, and she's not above admitting that she never wants it to stop.

Lena feels the air pulled from her lungs, as Kara’s mouth is wrenched unceremoniously from her own.

“Wait,” Kara orders her in a breathless voice, with panic in her crystalline blue eyes. She can’t help but stutter as she asks Lena, “What are – What are you doing?” Kara sounds so unsure of herself – and so utterly lost in that moment that Lena laughs.

“You’re an idiot,” Lena tells her, her eyes sparkling in the dim light of Kara's apartment. Then she corrects herself. “God, we’re _both_ idiots.”

“What are you talking about?” Kara questions. “Lena, what are _we_  doing? You’re with -”

“No,” Lena interrupts, shaking her head, “No, I’m _not_! James and I broke things off weeks ago - after _our_ big fight, actually." Lena gestures between the two of them.

"Was it my fault?" Kara asks. " _Rao_ , I'm sorry if I -"

"No," Lena tells her honestly. "No it wasn't your fault."

"Then _how_ -" Kara questions.

"Look, I'm not going to lie to you. Our fight that night was sort of the catalyst that forced me to address feelings that I had been avoiding for a long time. The truth is, I'd shoved those feelings so far down that I managed to convince myself that I was completely over you. But as much as I tried to cover them up and forget them, those feelings just kept coming back. I tried tricking myself into believing that I was happy, but it was a _lie_. I've _always_ been in love with you, Kara.”

“What?” Kara’s throat is suddenly dry. She’s not proud of it, but Kara's palms are suddenly sweaty and her hands are shaking, trembling violently in Lena's hold. Kara’s heart begins to pound as she struggles to cope with this newfound revelation. Lena is in love with her too.

“But I thought you were happy,” Kara breathes, as her expression falls. “You seemed _truly_ happy.”

“No,” Lena shakes her head. “No, I wasn’t,” Lena admits, adamantly. “As I said before, I tried to be. I – I really _wanted_ to be, but I wasn’t happy with him. I’m in love with you, Kara. I have been in love with you for a very _very_ long time. And if you really didn't know that before now, then I think that it's about time that you _do_.”

“But…”

“No, No buts,” Lena argues, as she reaches up to grasp the sides of Kara's face. Lena holds it steady as she forces Kara to meet her bright green eyes. “No more waiting. I’m _in love_ with you, Kara. And if you think for one second that I’m going to let you walk away from this – if you think I’m going to let you go _now,_ after _everything_  that you and I have been through together, then you’re fricken  _crazy_.”

“Lena,” Kara’s voice breaks, as all of the emotions that Kara's been trying to hold back for so long come rushing back.

“Hey,” Lena breathes, as she pulls a suddenly shaking Kara into her arms, wrapping her arms around Kara's middle in a tight embrace. “Hey, it’s okay.” Lena’s heartbeat falters, as she feels Kara bury her face in Lena’s neck.

“I was so sure that you would never want me,” Kara breathes into Lena’s neck, and Lena feels the warm puffs everywhere. Shivers course unbidden through her body. “I was so sure that I could never have you."

“Oh, Kara,” Lena sighs, as she gives Kara a squeeze. “You have no idea how much I love you. And I’m sorry. I’m so sorry if I seemed angry before, It's just – I was hurt. But I understand why you didn’t want to tell me. Believe me, I understand what it's like to be scared."

"Still, I never should have-"

"Kara," Lena speaks gently, "I'm not mad about the tattoo. Okay? In fact, I’ll have you know that I am honored to be a part of you. I love you so much.”

Lena meets Kara’s eyes as she pulls back. They both breathe out a sigh of contentment, as Kara leans into her and their foreheads brush. After what seems like an eternity of hurt feelings and contention, they finally feel at peace with one another.

“I love you too,” Kara whispers. Then, they are kissing again, and Kara’s lips are moving gently against her own. She is suddenly kissing Lena with such patience and gentleness that it drives Lena a little crazy with want. The kisses seem almost ethereal and otherworldly, and Lena supposes that it feels like the kiss of the sun. It's light, airy, almost intangible. Somehow, it seems fitting. Kara has always been like the sun to Lena, bright and blinding - so kissing her _should_ feel like this. Kara is the stars and the universe all wrapped up in one. Lena carefully maneuvers them backwards to the couch, and Lena laughs a little as Kara tumbles backwards over the arm of the couch, and onto its cushions. But before she even has a chance to prepare herself, she's following her lover downwards onto the piece of furniture with a soft squeak against Kara's lips.

Their mouths remain pressed together, seemingly never wanting to part, and Lena vaguely feels Kara’s hand at the back of her neck, pulling her into deeper kisses that leave an igneous heat coiling in the pit of her stomach. Lena’s breath stutters as she feels Kara press her other hand to the center of her chest, over her sternum, feeling the reverberations of Lena's heart through the bone and sinew. Lena's heart begins to beat that much faster, and pound that much harder beneath Kara's patient touches. She tries to slow her breathing - tries to calm her racing heart under Kara's fingertips, but that's an impossibility when the woman she loves more than anyone she's _ever_ loved is touching her. Lena hums as the kiss deepens, and she feels Kara's teeth scrape against her bottom lip as she pulls away. Lena gasps, as she feels Kara's fingertips trail slowly downwards, traveling down her midline to the border of the fabric, and beyond. Kara's hand pauses there for a second, lingering, as she circles the top button of Lena's blouse with her index finger.

 _Every time I look at you lately_  
_I see colors they're changing_  
_Every time I look at you lately_  
_I see colors_  
_I see you in black and white_  
_I see you in the brightest light_

“Lee?” Lena’s eyelids flutter open in order to see a question lingering in Kara’s eyes.

“Take it off,” Lena consents, and Lena swallows, nearly gulps, as Kara’s deft fingers start undoing the buttons one by one, with a speed that is a little unfair. Lena feels the breaths stolen from her lungs as Kara's mouth wanders. She begins to press kisses to the underside of Lena's jaw, and down the long, elegant column of Lena's neck, before pausing to press a lingering kiss to the small spot that had drawn Kara's attention on more than one occasion. Lena honestly isn't sure what to do with her hands as she gets lost in the feeling of Kara's wondrous mouth on her body, and so she feebly grabs at Kara's sides, as her eyes flutter closed again. 

"Kara," Lena's voice is all breath as she tries to speak. She feels Kara nipping at her neck, feels the scrape of Kara's teeth before the inevitable heat of a warm tongue darts out to take the sting away. " _Kara_ ," Lena says impatiently, as the last button of her blouse is undone. Lena's done waiting. She captures Kara's mouth with her own, and chases after Kara's lips as the blonde's head drops backwards onto the arm of the couch. Their kisses became just a little more passionate, a little more hungry, as they begin to divest each other of their items of clothing. Kara pushes the blouse off of Lena's shoulders, and the blouse falls, leaving Lena in just her bra and her pants.

Kara's eyes find Lena's own, and hold there as Lena reaches up to unclasp her own bra. The article falls away, causing Kara's gaze to drift downwards. And this time, it's Kara who forgets how to breathe. Lena feels momentarily exposed, as she watches Kara’s eyes find her for the first time, but then Kara has a way of wiping away all of Lena’s insecurities.

" _Rao_ ," Kara gasps, her eyes rove hungrily over Lena's chest, drinking in the sight of her for the first time. "You're _breathtaking_ ," Kara punctuates between her kisses, and Lena's skin suddenly takes on a new glow. Kara's eyes stay there, her eyes and expression darkening as she feels a painful throbbing take over her abdomen. Lena reminds her of the moonlight, beautiful, glistening, and illuminating. Kara thinks it's a perfect analogy, especially considering what the sun and moon mean to one another. 

"You can touch them, you know," Lena teases, and Kara flushes a deep shade of scarlet. She looks so damned beautiful like this, that Lena isn't sure she could ever put it into words.

Lena gasps as Kara's hands tentatively reach up to touch her bare chest for the first time, almost as if there's a hint of uncertainty in her actions. Kara's hands are cold against her at first, eliciting shivers in Lena's body, but then they quickly warm as heat is transferred between the two of them. An unbidden moan escapes Lena's throat as Kara's hands palm her breasts, testing the weight of them in her hands. She actually groans, as Kara gives them a gentle, kneading squeeze, before quickly gaining confidence. Lena's nipples are suddenly straining against Kara's palms, to the point where it's becoming painful. They kiss unhurriedly for several moments, as Kara fondles her on the couch. Lena's heart is pounding, beating harder than it has ever beaten before. 

"Can I?" Kara asks, and before Lena can even give her permission, Kara's mouth is suddenly on her breast, taking her nipple into her warm, wet, mouth. Lena moans loudly, a desperate and almost inarticulate sound as Kara lavishes it with attention. Lena squeezes her eyes shut, losing herself in the pleasure of it, as Kara's tongue swirls around it. And if Lena thought she was breathless before, she most certainly is now. She's never felt anything this good before. The pit of her stomach feels as if it has been filled with molten fire, and Lena is desperate to quell that feeling. Lena gasps as Kara releases it with a faint pop, and presses kisses against her, on the way to the other side. Lena can't stop the sound from escaping her as Kara pays the same amount of attention to the other side. Lena's desperation is getting worse. Her abdomen is throbbing - her pussy desperate for a touch that hasn't come. Lena feels her walls clench, trying to cling to fingers that aren't there. 

"Kara," Lena gasps, as she reaches up to grasp Kara behind her head, her fingers threading through it's silky strands. Kara hums as Lena's nails scrape along her scalp, and Lena groans - a deep, low, raspy sound. "Kara," Lena's voice takes on another tone altogether. "Oh, oh god," Lena's voice is suddenly much lower than Kara is used to hearing it, and Kara silently decides that she's in love with the sound.

" _Fuck_ ," Lena swears, "As much as I love what you're doing right now. You're driving me crazy. I want to kiss you. I want to touch you."

And Kara listens, letting Lena guide her back up to her mouth. There, Kara takes her in a searing kiss that leaves both of them on cloud nine. 

"Let me take off your shirt," Lena pleads. And Kara releases her hold on Lena's torso, lifting her arms in a placating gesture. Lena doesn't waste any time before she grabs a hold of Kara's shirt, in her hands, and slowly starts to pull it up. Her eyes hungrily drink in the sight of Kara's stomach as the article of clothing is lifted up higher and higher, revealing the skin beneath. Lena feels a pang of sympathy and regret as she sees the faint white lines marring Kara's chiseled abdomen. The scars look months old - _years_ even, but Lena knows the truth. They are little more than a week old. She has to swallow over the sudden lump in her throat, as she allows herself to get lost in the emotions that those scars evoke. She'd almost lost Kara, but by god's grace Kara was still with her.

"It's okay," Kara assures her, as she seems to read Lena's mind. She hooks a finger under Lena's chin and lifts her gaze in order to meet her own. "Hey, I'm okay. I'm _here_ , Lee," Kara reassures her. "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. I promise." The words resonate in Lena. They are echoes of that day in her office, when Kara had made those same promises.

"You've said that before," Lena laughs, though there are tears building in her eyes. 

"And I'll say it again if I have to," Kara tells her, before kissing her softly. "I - I love you."

"I love you too," Lena reciprocates, before she continues what she'd started.

Lena's eyes rove over Kara’s torso, as she pulls the blonde’s nightshirt up and over her torso. Without even meaning to, her eyes dart to the thing that started this all.  The tattoo is there, waiting for her, and Lena feels her heart clench. She tosses the shirt away without a care, as she takes Kara’s lips again, in a thorough but ardent kiss. It is more than a little desperate, and Lena can't help the moan that pushes its way past her throat as Kara’s knee presses up and into her center through the fabric of her pants. Lena hips respond to the pressure of it without any thought whatsoever. Then, Lena is suddenly grinding down onto Kara’s toned quadricep, as her eyes darken even more in lust.

“ _Kara_ ,” Lena gasps. Lena feels the fabric tear, as Kara unbuttons her pants, and tugs them down around her lower legs, so that she’s left in her underwear. The tangle of fabric serves as a slight hinderance to Lena's movements, but Lena just can't bring herself to care as she focuses on the feelings of Kara's hands on her hips, aiding Lena's movements against Kara's muscular thigh. It’s almost comical, as they move together on the couch, both using one another for leverage in the hopes that they can both quell the desire in their bodies.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Kara groans, as she feels how wet Lena is through the fabric of her panties. With each pass of Lena’s hips, Kara feels a new streak of wetness on her thigh, making the skin tingle in the cool air of her apartment. Kara’s suddenly aching for her.

Lena bursts out laughing, because she’s never heard Kara swear in all of the time she’s known her and she finds it absolutely humorous.

“Lena,” she can practically hear the annoyance in Kara's voice as her laughs dissipate. But there’s also a hint of a question in her voice.

“Make love to me, Kara,” Lena commands. And Lena sighs contentedly, as she feels Kara tug her panties down to meet with her pants. 

“ _Lena_ ,” Kara breathes, as her eyes find dark, dampened curls. “You’re so beautiful.”

"Tell me what to do," Kara tells her.

“Touch me,” Lena pleads, finally, as she can’t take the waiting any longer. “Just _touch me_ , Kara.” Kara listens. Lena continues to move against Kara, as Kara’s fingers move dangerously close to Lena's opening. Once there, Kara’s fingers play around her entrance, teasing her relentlessly. She feels the pressure of Kara’s fingers as they circle her opening, but never once do they dip inside. It's driving her wild. Kara has yet to penetrate her in the way she so desperately needs.

“Damn it, Kara,” Lena actually groans, “Stop _teasing_ me. _Please_. I need you...I need you _inside_.” Lena can’t stop the sound that passes through her vocal cords as Kara listens and pushes into her for the first time, first with one finger, and then with two when she senses the need for more. Lena gasps, as she adjusts to the feeling of her for the first time. Her mind reels as she struggles to process all of this. Kara is inside of her. Lena moans, long and deep, too far gone to care how she sounds.

Lena's walls cling to Kara's fingers, and Lena lets out a long sigh as she closes her eyes. She's never felt so content in all of her life.

"You okay?" Kara asks with a crinkle of her brow. She doesn't want to admit it, but she's afraid of hurting Lena.

Lena's answer is to kiss Kara slow and deep, while moaning into Kara's mouth.

She can feel Kara’s fingers trailing along her front wall, as the blonde slowly withdraws, before Kara pushes back in with a flex of her forearm. She repeats the process. Only this time, when she pushes back in, Kara does so a little more vigorously and Lena's body responds to it. Lena’s hips start to rock against Kara’s own, seeking gratification, as Kara’s mouth takes hers, swallowing all of the sounds Lena is powerless to stop.

“Oh, Rao. You feel so good around my fingers,” Kara tells her between passionate kisses, and Lena can’t even bring herself to form a coherent reply. Kara is far _far_ too good at this, and Lena doesn’t know how she could have ever thought she could happy with anyone else. Kara is _everything_.

Kara spends minutes working Lena up to her orgasm, but it feels like an eternity. Kara gives her just enough to leave her on the brink of madness, never quite letting Lena fall over the ledge in the way that she so desperately wants. Still, Lena is getting closer. She can feel her thighs quake and tremble with each pass of Kara’s thumb over her clit. Kara is meticulous, as her thumb continues to press over it in small, fast circles. The sensations overwhelm Lena. Everything about sex with Kara, is almost too good to be true. She’s always imagined what it would be like to have Kara touching her, but somehow, all of her fantasies had fallen woefully short of the real thing. She tries to fight back her impending orgasm, wanting to hold onto the moment and the feelings between them, but Kara is just too good.

“Oh god,” Lena gasps, “I – I’m close. I'm so close.”

“Then, let go,” Kara implores her, as her fingertips press into the rough spot at the top of her walls, with a punctuated curl of her fingers. “Let go for me, Lena.”

Lena is catapulted over the edge with a sharp gasp. She goes rigid over Kara, as her inner walls clench hard around Kara’s fingers over and over and over again. "Fuck. Oh my..!" Lena groans, as she feels it crest over her.

“Kara,” Lena cries, as she sees a blinding flash of white. And then she’s boneless. Lena sinks down on top of Kara, and presses her forehead to Kara’s pulse point, as she tries to catch her breath. The aftershocks of her orgasm are still ripping through her, when she feels Kara start moving in her again. She knows that her lover is just trying to ease her down, but instead it sparks something in Lena's body.

They're not done - not even close.

Kara's fingers press into her again, curling against her g-spot with every thrust of her fingers. Lena feels her entire body shudder, as Kara manages to coax another orgasm from her body before Lena has a chance to fully recover from the first. Lena can’t even breathe as the second orgasm slams into her even harder than the first one did. She is suddenly being lifted up higher and higher without any promise of ever being allowed to come back down again. Mercifully, Kara stops moving, and Lena crashes, collapsing like a wave on the beach. Sound roars in her ears, and Lena knows that she's hearing the sound of the blood rushing through her veins. The next thing she knows, she’s back on the couch with Kara, with one of Kara's arms protectively wrapped around her in a steadying hold. She’s acutely aware of Kara’s thundering heartbeat, and she loves the way it feels against her skin. Lena moans, and squeezes her eyes shut.

She feels a tug, as Kara starts to withdraw her fingers. But Lena’s inner muscles cling to the digits, not wanting the separation - the dissociation from her lover.

“Wait,” Lena pleads, as a powerful and painful spasm tears through those same muscles. “Just leave them in for a moment. Please. I need a minute.”

“Are you okay?” Kara asks in a tremulous voice. Kara feels her heartbeat skip a beat as Lena presses a kiss to her shoulder. “I - I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No," Lena is resolute about that fact, Kara hadn't hurt her at all. In fact, she's pretty sure she's never had sex this good before. "No, you didn't hurt me."

"Are you sure?"

“I'm pretty sure that I just had the best orgasm of my life,” Lena laughs, “So yeah, I'm sure. If anything, I don't seem to want to let go of you, Darling."

“Oh,” the sound of surprise in Kara’s voice has Lena pulling back in order to take in Kara’s expression.

“Kara,” Lena asks with curiosity, as she sees the look in Kara’s eyes. “Hey, what’s going on? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No reason,” Kara nearly laughs. “I was just worried that I might have... I mean, it was okay for you?”

Lena suddenly realizes something for the first time. “Oh my god,” she breathes out as she reads Kara like an open book. “You’ve never done this before, have you?”

“Not with a woman, no,” Kara admits. “I - I’m sorry if it wasn’t as good for you as it normally is. The fact is, I really wanted it to be good for you, but I don’t know if it was–“

“Kara,” Lena sighs. “Oh, my dear sweet Kara. You really don’t seem to understand how good you are at what _we_ just did.”

“I was?” Kara asks in surprise.

“You were amazing, Darling,” Lena promises. “And I promise, as soon as I can feel my legs again, I have every intention of making you feel as good as I just felt.”

“You’re sure that it was okay?” Kara can’t help but ask.

“More sure than I’ve ever been sure of anything in my entire life,” Lena says with adoration in her voice. “I love you, Kara.”

“I love you too,” Kara reciprocates, before she kisses Lena like she’s her whole _world_.

 _Yeah when I look at you colors_  
_When I look at you I see colors_  
_When I look at you I see colors_  
_I see colors..._


	2. Dusk Till Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This follow-up takes place on Kara and Lena's sixth month anniversary. Kara plans a special night for the two of them, but her plans go awry when she's called away on official Supergirl business at the last minute. There's a little bit of angst that takes place on Lena's part, when she comes home to find out Kara is gone, and will likely miss their anniversary. However, they are both able to reconnect in a meaningful way at the end. There are lots of good feels in this one, I promise!
> 
> I know the summary kind of sucks. In fact, I'm really terrible at writing summaries! But hopefully the story itself is a lot better. Please just give it a chance!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Supergirl or any part of the DC universe! All writing is done for enjoyment purposes only!

_Six months later…_

“Kara?” James’ voice has Kara abruptly looking away from her computer screen. She's been frantically typing away at her keyboard for the last twenty minutes, and she's honestly surprised she hasn't broken it, yet. After all, she has a terrible habit of typing a little too vigorously when she's stressed, and she's definitely stressed. Kara lets out a weighted breath as she tries to think of how she's gotten to this moment. It's all Snapper's fault. She has some very specific words that she'd like to share with Snapper Carr, but unfortunately Kara Danvers would never get away with saying them. “Hey, what on earth are you still doing here? You’re supposed to be getting things ready for your big night!”

“I know,” Kara, grumbles as she pulls her hands away from her keyboard in frustration, instead letting them fall into her lap, “I know I am, but Snapper dumped a story on me at the last minute and I had to get a jump on it. His instructions were very clear.”

“I understand that, but I’m sure it can wait for _one_ night,” James says, as he leans casually against her desk, right next to her shoulder, “You really should try and get out of here while you still have the chance.” Kara relaxes as she glances up to see him looking down at her genially, with his arms grasping the edge of her desk. 

“I’m afraid that window of opportunity has closed,” Kara huffs, as she reaches up to readjust her glasses, “I don't think I'll be escaping Catco any time soon. That’s sort of the problem with working for your girlfriend. Lena always seems to know when I’m on my way out. Hell, she's caught me trying to sneak out of here several times already, and I can't really risk her finding out what I've been up to."

"Well, you could just tell her that you're going out to take care of official Supergirl business," James suggests.

"Oh, believe me, I've tried. I've tried convincing her that I was leaving to take care of official Supergirl business, but she didn’t seem to buy it for a _second_. It’s like she knows I’m up to something.”

“Probably because you are,” James laughs. "Look, Kara, I don't know if anyone has told you this before, but you're  _terrible_ at lying. Seriously, if it hadn't been for Winn and I, I'm pretty sure that the entirety of Catco would have found out about your secret identity within that first week."

“Oh, hush,” Kara, tells him, but her tone is far from serious. It’s warm and teasing. They’re finally getting back to the way things were before, before the broken hearts, and before their trust was broken in one another. They’re finally back to being _Kara and James, a_ nd it makes her _really_ happy. She's missed it so.

Kara’s tone turns serious as she says, “I never should have agreed to her terms.” Kara groans, “I mean, seriously! Who makes their girlfriend promise not to get them anything for their anniversary? Who makes them promise to spend a quiet night in?”

“Probably a woman who desperately misses her girlfriend, and wants to spend a quiet night alone with her,” James points out calmly. “Look, Kara, I know I might be overstepping my boundaries as a friend when I say this, but maybe you should try and think about this a little bit? Take it from someone who knows what it’s like to be on the other side. It’s not easy being a Superhero’s significant other. It’s just – It’s hard having to share the person you love with everyone else - even if it is for a noble cause. Lena is incredible. I think you know that. But even so, it’s got to be hard on her every time you have to cancel a date, or miss a night in, because you’re off saving the _world_.”

“Oh _Rao_ ,” Kara’s expression tightens as her head suddenly drops into her hands, “I never even thought of it like that. Am I a terrible girlfriend? Oh, Rao! I am, aren’t I?”

“No,” James tells her honestly, as he squeezes her shoulder, “No, Kara! That’s – That’s not what I was trying to say, at _all_. Look, I’m just trying to help you, okay? I really want this night to be special for the both of you. Because the two of you deserve to be happy.” Kara relaxes a bit as she lifts her head. Then, she turns and meets his gaze.

“What do I do?” She can't believe that she asking him for advice, but she knows that James is far better with the romance than she ever will be.

“Well, I know you’ve already made reservations at that one place, but if you would be open to a bit of advice, I think that Lena would much prefer it if you gave her what she asked for, which is a quiet night in with you. You can still make it special, you know? I mean, you have the whole world at your fingertips, Kara. So it shouldn’t be hard for you to add a few personal touches that would mean far more to her than a night on the town ever could.”

“You’re right,” Kara smiles as she pushes her chair back and stands up. “You’re so right, James. Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Of course,” he nods, “I’d do anything for you guys, Kara, I think you know that.”

“Lena and I are really fortunate to have you in our lives,” Kara says, with her voice so full of sentiment that it makes her a just little bit emotional. “I just…I know I’ve said this before, but I’m sorry. I’m really sorry that you got hurt.”

“Kara,” James sighs and shakes his head, “How many times do I have to say this? Look, I’m not going to say that it wasn’t hard at first, but I have no doubt that Lena is with who she is _meant to be_ with. I tried to make her happy, but I never could…not in the way that you do. I know how deeply you love her. I know how much you cherish her, and I have every confidence that things worked out the way they _should have_. You’ve always believed in her, and she – she has always loved you. In fact, she loved you far before she ever knew you were Supergirl. That _means_ something.”

James lets out a bit of a yelp as Kara pulls him into a crushing hug. She’s a little too over-enthusiastic about the gesture of affection, and he winces just a little bit as he wraps his arms gingerly around her midsection.

“Careful,” James groans as he feels his ribs protest under the squeeze of her arms, “Not so hard.”

“Sorry,” Kara’s expression is sheepish as she pulls away. "I don't mean to be rude, but I should," Kara gestures in the direction of the door with her thumb. "I should really try to get out of here. If I'm going to pull all of this off, I'm going to need all of the time I can get. I’ve got lots to do, and errands to run. Do you think you could you do me a favor and try to cover for me while I'm gone?”

“Sure,” James smiles, “Of course! If she comes by, I’ll tell her that you’re out chasing down a lead for your story. Maybe she’ll actually believe it, if it comes from somebody else.”

“Thanks, James,” Kara says gratefully, “You’re the best!”

“Flattery will get you everywhere, it seems!” James calls after her, as she rushes for the elevator, abandoning her work on her desk. "Try not to have too much fun tonight, Kara!"

* * *

 

 _Not tryna be indie_  
_Not tryna be cool_  
_Just tryna be in this_  
_Tell me are you too?_

Several hours later, Kara is putting the finishing touches on things at Lena’s apartment. She’s got dinner warming in the oven, and the table set for two. Dinner, is perhaps the thing she is the most excited to share with Lena, because she’d flown all the way to Florence, Italy, in order to get it. And she’d done so, precisely because she knew that it was Lena’s favorite. There was something to be said about authentic Italian cuisine. People actually trained their whole lives, perfecting the technique used to create the pasta used in tonight’s dish, and it showed. It was one of the best things that Kara had ever tasted. Lena rarely ever let Kara spoil her like this, but Kara supposes that if there was ever an occasion that warranted such a meal, it was this one.

Kara uses her normal speed to light the candles in the middle of the dining room table. After all, she can’t exactly use her super-speed to do so, as using her speed would likely just blow the candles right back out.

Kara adjusts the flowers in the center of the table, and smiles. She knows how fond of Plumerias Lena is, and she knows that such a personal touch will not go unnoticed by her girlfriend. She’s very pleased with her work, and she silently hopes that Lena will be too.

Kara moves swiftly into the next room, doing a quick walk-through of Lena's penthouse apartment. She’s got rose petals sprinkled all the way from the elevator doors to the bathroom, where a glass and a bottle of Lena's favorite red waits. Kara adjusts the bottle that is perched on the edge of the deep tub filled with steaming hot water. She disappears from the room, then reappears a moment later with a worn copy of Lena's favorite book clutched in her hands. She sets it down next to the bottle of red. In a little box on the edge of the tub, waits a bath-bomb from Lena's favorite cosmetics store, Lush. It’s the one that reminds Kara of the universe and the stars, and Kara thinks it fitting. Kara uses a brief blast from her heat vision to keep the water as hot as the moment she’d drawn it, and leaves.

She steps into the bedroom, and lets out a deep, calming breath. Flowers and candles adorn practically every surface in Lena’s bedroom, illuminating the room in flickering, orange candlelight. On the bed is another gift from Kara; a deep emerald green lingerie set that reminded Kara of Lena’s eyes. And somehow, Kara knows that the shade of the brassiere and panty set will bring out the color of Lena’s eyes even more. She can’t wait to see just how much.

 _Can you feel where the wind is?_  
_Can you feel it through_  
_All of the windows_  
_Inside this room?_

Kara swallows nervously as she moves over to the closet and pulls a silver jewelry box from its place on the top shelf. She handles the heavy box carefully in her hands, though the box _itself_ isn’t valuable, not to Kara at least. In fact, when she’d created it, its sole purpose was only to house the precious, one-of-a-kind item that was contained inside. Inside, is a bracelet that Alex had spent months helping her make. The piece of jewelry was designed to be largely indestructible like Kara, but it also so much more than that. Embedded in its settings, are six precious stones - one for each of the months that Lena and Kara have been together. Kara is sentimental that way, she supposes. However, that isn't what makes it special. What makes the bracelet so special is that all of the stones Kara used in it, were obtained on other planets. One of the stones, Kara's favorite (she supposes that she is a little biased that way), was brought with her from Krypton. In fact, it is Kara’s very last piece of home. And It is the best possible thing that Kara could think of to give the love of her life.

Lena probably won't know just how significant a gift it really is, but that's just fine with Kara. After all, she doesn’t think that she's ready to tell Lena about Krypton’s marriage customs, where an exchanging of bracelets was as binding as the exchange of rings and marriage vows are on Earth. However, at some point in the future, Kara hopes that she will be brave enough to mention it. All that matters, is that Lena is _it_ for Kara. There is no one else that Kara wants to spend the rest of her life with. That thought used to scare her… In fact, it used to _terrify_ her. But now, now that thought only gives her strength.

Kara is placing her card for Lena by the door, when she hears her earpiece crackle to life.

“ _Supergirl_ , come in,” Alex’s voice jolts Kara from her reverie. Kara lets out a quavering breath, and shakes her head.

‘ _No_ ,’ Kara thinks stubbornly. It’s her night off. It’s her one night off this year, and she’s not about to let Lena down _again_.

“Kara,” Alex tries again, “I know you can hear me. Please, come in. It’s important!”

“It’s my night off, Alex,” Kara practically growls in frustration. “You _know_ how important tonight is to me. You _promised_.”

“I know,” Alex sighs, and Kara deflates, her shoulders slumping as she realizes Alex wouldn’t have bothered her unless it was something seriously important. “I know I did, Kara, and I am so _so_ sorry for this. But we need you. There’s a bogey in the air, and we need you to stop it.”

“What is it that we’re talking about?” Kara’s jaw clenches, and her hands curl into involuntary fists as she struggles to mentally prepare herself for battle.

“An ICBM,” Alex tells her calmly. “Headed straight for the West Coast. It’ll reach its target in less than eight minutes. They’re scrambling the jets, but they likely won’t reach it in time to prevent detonation. We’re talking about  _millions_ of lives here, Kara!”

“Okay,” Kara breathes determinedly, ripping open her shirt as she rushes over to the balcony, “Tell me where I need to be in order to intercept it.”

Several minutes later, Lena feels the exhaustion of her long day start to take hold as she tiredly clambers out of the backseat of her town-car, and walks through the front door of her building. Gerry, the doorman, gives her a warm smile as she passes by. She gives him a smile in return, and a small wave, as she gracefully walks across the marble lobby and over towards the private elevator that will take her up to her apartment. Her shoulders sag ever so slightly as she walks. She isn't sure when it started, but the fatigue had been slowly slipping into her every mannerism, betraying the depths of her exhaustion. It had been a long week - a long year, if she was being honest - but even so, Lena knows that she will never know exhaustion in the way that Kara does. Lena slips inside the elevator, and inserts her keycard into the slot, before hitting the button for the top floor. She lets out a tired sigh as she checks her phone for the tenth time in as many minutes. She keeps kicking herself over missing Kara’s departure from Catco. The truth is, she'd barely seen her girlfriend all day. Sure, they'd shared several brief conversations, but Kara was always hurrying off this way and that, trying to do both of her jobs. And finally, much to Lena's annoyance, her girlfriend disappeared several hours prior and had failed to make a reappearance. Lena had finally given up on her ever coming back about a half an hour ago, and had decided to just go home. She knows that she gave Kara the impression that she didn’t want to make a big deal of tonight, but it _was_ a big deal for them. Because for the first time in her life, Lena was thinking of marriage - of what it would be like to have Kara be a permanent fixture in her life. And that was a  _huge_  deal for Lena.

The best that Lena can do is swallow over the sudden lump in her throat, as she drops her phone back into her purse. She’s going to be okay. Even if Kara isn’t there to celebrate this milestone in their relationship, Lena knows that she will be okay. Sure, sometimes she misses her girlfriend, but she knows that what Kara is doing is worthwhile and important. On any given day, Kara is off saving lives. Who else can honestly say that? 

 _'Cause I wanna touch you baby_  
_And I wanna feel you too_  
_I wanna see the sun rise_  
_On your sins just me and you_

Lena glances up as the elevator signals its arrival at its destination with a faint ding, and the doors start to slowly part open. Lena gasps as her eyes take in the deep red petals sprinkled on the floor. As Lena takes the first hesitant step into her apartment, she can't help but feel blown away by the sight before her.  She hadn't expected this. She honestly hadn't expected anything like this at all. Her heart picks up its pace, and begins to beat just a little faster, as she takes in the roses and plumerias placed sporadically throughout her apartment. On the table next to her, next to the bowl where Lena drops her keys, a beautiful card waits for her. Lena drops her keys into the bowl, and picks up the card in their place, laughing as she gets glitter all over her hands. (Because of course Kara would choose the flashiest card imaginable). Lena feels her eyes and her throat start to burn as she opens it, and reads the words written inside. She recognizes Kara’s delicate script, and she smiles. She's not an extremely sentimental person. She's never been the kind to save personal items, but Lena knows that she'll be saving this card for posterity's sake. Lena smiles, and sets the card back down, before turning and taking the first steps towards the bathroom, where Kara has instructed her to begin her relaxing night in.

“Kara?” Lena can’t help but call out, as she begins to walk through her apartment. Everything is silent, and Lena’s brow furrows as she strains her ears, hoping to detect some evidence of Kara’s presence. She kicks off her heels as she moves through the Great room. She stalls, momentarily, drawing gasping breaths, as her eyes fall on the dining room table lit entirely by candlelight. The table is set for two, and is decorated tastefully. Lena quickly takes in every detail, marveling at the beautiful aesthetic. She swallows over the sudden lump in her throat, as her eyes skate over the sight of the plates, cutlery, wine-glasses, candlesticks, and the plumerias located in the center of the table. Truthfully, It’s everything she could have ever hoped for. The only thing that seems to be missing from this picture is Kara. “Kara, my darling, are you here?” Lena questions, as she continues through the apartment. She clears room after room, hoping against hope that she’s not about to find it empty.

 _Light it up, on the run_  
_Let's make love tonight_  
_Make it up, fall in love_  
_Try_  
_(Baby, I'm right here)_

But when she reaches the bedroom, she quickly gives up all hope. Lena drops her purse to the floor and sighs, reaching up to pinch her nose between her thumb and forefinger. She feels tears prick at her eyes, as she realizes that the amazing woman she loves is nowhere to be found. Kara had done all this for her, and she wasn't there to enjoy it with her. Lena shakes her head as she struggles to shake herself out of her thoughts. She's going to try to enjoy this, no matter how sad she might feel at the moment.

She walks into the bathroom, and feels a smile tug at her lips as she lays eyes on the sight that awaits her, a book, a bottle of wine, and a box. Lena opens the box, and actually laughs. For a moment, she’d thought Kara had broken her promise to not get her any gifts. But she supposes that she will forgive her girlfriend this small transgression. She sets the box back down, and slowly begins to peel off her clothes, discarding them on the vanity.

When she’s finally naked, Lena plucks the bath-bomb from its place, and drops it into the water with a small splash. She watches in fascination as the whole universe takes shape before her very eyes, playing out like a movie in the pool of water below. She watches for several long minutes, transfixed by the sight, before she finally steps into the water for the first time. She lets out a sharp breath, mildly surprised that it’s still so hot. Slowly, carefully, Lena lowers herself into the water with a relaxed sigh. Lena closes her eyes, and relaxes for several minutes, before she opens them again. She opens the second card, and reads Kara’s instructions, to relax, to enjoy a glass of wine, and a good book. Lena follows her instructions to a T. She pours herself a glass of her favorite wine, and sips at it intermittently, while reading from the worn copy of her favorite book. She knows that Kara had chosen this particular fantasy novel, because Kara had read it to her on numerous occasions. And as her eyes fly over the words on its pages, she can almost hear Kara’s voice in her head, reading its words right along with her. It is almost as good as the real thing. Still, she misses Kara desperately.

 _But you'll never be alone_  
_I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_  
_I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_  
_Baby, I'm right here_  
_I'll hold you when things go wrong_  
_I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_  
_I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_

Almost an hour later, Lena carefully steps out of the tub, and towels herself off, before she pulls on the fluffy, and impossibly soft robe that Kara hung for her by the door. She walks back into the bedroom and perches on the edge of the bed for a moment as she tries to decide what to do.

There, she makes the mistake of turning on the television.

Lena’s eyes widen in alarm, as she sees the story running across all of the news outlets for the first time. Her stomach drops as she sees the footage of Supergirl. She suddenly knows why Kara isn’t there. She’d been called away, in order to deal with whatever it is that's happening. Lena watches in horror, as a brilliant flash ripples across the sky, and the very fabric of reality explodes before her very eyes. She can’t even breathe as she realizes exactly what she’s seeing. It’s a nuclear blast. A nuclear bomb has just detonated high up in the atmosphere. It’s so high up, in fact, that it’s practically in space. Lena knows then that the footage that she’s watching is that of a satellite.

“Oh my god,” Lena breathes, as her eyes focus on something else – a streak of red and blue. Lena jumps up from the edge of the bed, moving closer to the screen on the far wall. At first, her girlfriend skips across the atmosphere's outer surface, as if she can’t quite break through it. But then she does. Lena can see the bright orange of the flames licking at the fabric of Kara’s Supersuit, as she reenters the Earth’s atmosphere. Lena lifts a hand to her mouth, as if to choke back the sound full of horror that threatens to escape, but she can’t do anything but watch as Kara’s lifeless body plummets through the air. Kara is falling through Earth’s atmosphere with a velocity so fast, that Lena knows her girlfriend can’t possibly survive an impact with the ground - whether she's nearly indestructible or not.

 _Baby, I'm right here_  
_I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_  
_Baby, I'm right here_

Lena is about to give up all hope when another streak of red and blue collides with Kara in mid-air, a mile or so above the Earth’s surface. She watches as Superman fights against the monumental forces carrying them both downwards. He attempts to slow Kara to a less-than terminal velocity, but this is not easily done. Lena watches with baited breath. They’re quickly running out of time – out of space. Lena holds her breath.

“Come on, Superman,” Lena pleads with him. She pleads for the life of her love. “Come on! Save _her_!” Lena screams. She howls, then, screaming bloody murder as they run out of room in the blink of an eye, and crash against the Earth's surface with all of the force of a meteor. The impact of them against the ground is enough to send shockwaves coursing through the dirt and rock, kicking it back up into the atmosphere, in a geyser of debris. Lena drops to her knees right there in the middle of the room. She can feel the tears streaking down her face, but her eyes don’t leave the screen.

Lena faintly hears her phone going off in her purse. She doesn’t trust her legs to hold her, so she just crawls over to it and pulls out her phone. Her heart stops as she sees Alex’s name on its display. Lena rakes in a steadying breath and answers.

“Tell me she’s alive,” Lena’s voice is thick, as she speaks. “Tell me that what I saw on the news isn’t what it looks like, Alex. Just – tell me that the woman I love is okay, because if she’s not, then I don’t know how I’m supposed to-”

“Lena,” Alex’s voice sounds strained, as if she too is overcome with emotion after what has just happened.

“Damn it, Alex,” Lena breathes brokenly, as sobs shake her shoulders. "Just tell me! Tell me she's alright!"

“She’s okay,” Alex reassures her. "Lena, she's going to be fine," and Lena feels like she can finally breathe for the first time in minutes.

“Fortunately, Kal-El managed to slow her decent enough to prevent any major damage, but she was close to the bomb when it detonated. She sustained some injuries from the blast, the worst of which was a concussion, but she’s conscious and alert."

"Oh thank god," Lena rasps, before drawing in a shaky breath.

"Believe me, If Kara had her way, she’d already be home with you," Alex informs her, "But we can't let her go just yet. She needs to go through decontamination and a medical evaluation, first. It’s also my recommendation that she spend some time under the sunlamps - just to make sure she's all right.”

 _We were shut like a jacket_  
_So do your zip_  
_We would roll down the rapids_  
_To find a wave that fits_

“Tell her to do what she needs to do,” Lena orders, telling Alex precisely what she wanted to hear, “I can wait.”

“It’ll be a few hours,” Alex tells her softly. Lena tells the second she switches into sister mode, before her voice takes on a certain authority when she says, “Make sure to eat some of the food while it’s still good. Kara made me promise to tell you to check the oven.”

“I’m not exactly hungry right now, Alex,” Lena says honestly. "I just watched my girlfriend fall from _space_."

“That’s not a request,” Alex’s voice holds a hint of an edge to it. “Kara went through a lot of trouble to get it for you. So just try to eat a little of it, okay?”

“Fine,” Lena grumbles. “I’ll eat. But make sure that Kara knows that she’s not getting off the hook for what she just put me through.”

“Of course,” Alex chuckles. Then, her tone turns serious as she says, “Look, Lena, I feel like I owe you a bit of an apology.”

“And why would you think that?” Lena questions. " _You_ weren't the one to fly a nuclear missile up into space!"

“No, but I am the one who ordered her to do it,” Alex sighs, and Lena can almost picture how Alex looks just then, with her eyes and her expression full of guilt. She can almost see the tick of the muscle in Alex's jaw, as she clenches it shut. She knows Alex is probably running her hand over her face in exhaustion, as they speak. It is obvious that Alex blames herself for what happened. She blames herself for ruining their perfect night together. “I promised Kara that she would have the night off, because I knew how _important_ tonight was for her, but then everything happened so fast and I had to make a split second decision. The truth is, it meant everything to her – to have a night alone with you. She loves you, Lena. In fact, I’ve never seen her _so in love_ with anybody before."

"I appreciate what you're saying," Lena breathes. "But I get to be mad about this, Alex. I get to be upset that my girlfriend almost died tonight. That's my right!"

"I know! I know it is. Just - Don't be too angry with Kara, okay?" Alex stammers on, "Because it wasn't really in her control. She didn't want to leave you tonight, and I know that it's been killing her that she has to keep canceling on you. She feels like she’s letting you down.”

“She’s not letting me down, Alex,” Lena tells her honestly. “I _love_ her, and I understand the responsibilities that come with being Earth’s hero. Look, I’m not going to lie, it's not easy having to come second to everything else, but I love that part of her just as much as I love Kara Danvers. The truth is, I wouldn’t have it any other way." Lena lets out a choked breath, as she battles back tears.

"Lena," Alex seems to pick up on Lena's emotions over the phone. "I probably should have led with this, but are you okay?"

"No, but I will be. I just think I need some time to process. I know that if she ever chose _me_ over the rest of the world, that she wouldn’t be the woman I love anymore. But watching her fall like that? It rattled me, Alex. I thought I was going to lose her.”

"I know," Alex breathes. "I know. I'm so  _sorry_ you had to see that. Next time, I'll try to warn you not to turn on the TV beforehand."

“I wish it wasn't necessary,” Lena admits, “But that is the reality we find ourselves in, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Alex sounds as if she understands everything that Lena is currently feeling. And Lena knows she does. After all, Alex Danvers has been doing this a lot longer than Lena has.

"Look, Lena," Alex says quietly, "I know it's difficult. I wish - I wish I could tell you that it got easier, but I'd be lying if I did. Please just know that I'm here for you, in whatever capacity that you need. If you need a shoulder to cry on, I promise that I'll be there. And, hey, if you want a drinking buddy? I'm there too. All you have to do is say the word." 

"Thank you, Alex," Lena laughs, "That means a lot to me.”

“Anytime,” Alex breathes, “Well, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go. I’ve got to go supervise the decontamination. Just sit tight. She’ll be home before you know it.”

“Right,” Lena says with a hint of skepticism. “Just make sure she’s okay.”

“Will do,” Alex promises. “Take care, Lena.”

“You too,” Lena urges her. And then the line clicks dead.

Lena doesn’t want to, but she gets back to her feet and makes her way to the kitchen. She grabs a hold of the pot-holders from the drawer, and tugs open the appliance. Her heart swells as she realizes what is waiting for her in the oven. She can’t believe that Kara did all of this for her. It’s a little overwhelming, if she's being honest. Still, Lena can’t let it go to waste. She pulls the food from the oven and carries it to the table. She sits down at the table set for two, and stares at Kara’s empty place setting for just a little too long. Reluctantly, Lena dishes herself up and eats. The food tastes incredible. But it’s not the same, because Kara isn’t there to enjoy it with her. After she finishes the food, she blows out all the candles on the table. After all, there’s no sense in keeping them lit any longer.

 _Can you feel where the wind is?_  
_Can you feel it through_  
_All of the windows_  
_Inside this room?_

After Lena cleans up, she settles on the couch to wait. The fatigue she felt earlier in the evening catches up with her after about a half an hour and she nods off, falling into a deep dreamless sleep.

Hours later, Kara gently touches down on the balcony outside, and soundlessly lets herself inside of the apartment. Her head is pounding just a little bit. And though she knows it's a side effect of the concussion, it's still makes her feel sluggish and slightly uncomfortable in her own skin. It takes a moment for her vision to adjust to the dark shadows of Lena’s quiet apartment, but soon enough she can see make everything out clearly. As she steps further into the apartment, she focuses on one thing, and one thing only, letting Lena’s heartbeat guide her to the couch where Lena had fallen asleep hours previously. The first sight of her, honestly takes Kara’s breath away. She's beautiful, and Kara feels so lucky that she gets to see Lena like this - in such a state of vulnerability. Lena is still wearing the bathrobe, and her hair is loose, its strands forming waves over her chest and shoulders. Kara walks forwards, and presses a feather-light kiss to Lena’s forehead. With utmost care, she lifts Lena into her into her arms. Lena instinctively wraps her arms around Kara’s neck, as Kara’s arms slide under her knees and around her back, but she doesn’t stir. Kara carries her into the bedroom, and gently eases her down onto the mattress. Lena lets out a deep and relaxed sigh, as she settles back against the pillows.

Most of the candles have burnt themselves out, but some are still burning faintly. Kara extinguishes them with her fingers. She carefully relocates her gifts to the top of the dresser, before using her regular speed (she is much too tired to use her super-speed) to shed her Supersuit in its many pieces. She tosses them onto the chair in the corner of the room, and strips down to her underwear. She ultimately decides to shed her bra, too, but decides to keep her panties on. Once finished, she helps Lena out of her robe, and carefully dresses her girlfriend in a pair of silk pajamas. She makes a concerted effort not to jostle her lover too much. Then, when that's finally done, she coaxes her under the covers, before moving around to the other side of the bed to do the same. The second that Kara’s head hits the pillow, she drifts off, falling into dreams of Lena and Krypton. For the first time in more than a year, Kara dreams of standing under Rao’s light once more. She feels completely at peace, as she dreams of placing her bracelet on Lena’s wrist and of kissing her beneath the spires of Argo City.

 _'Cause I wanna touch you baby_  
_I wanna feel you too_  
_I wanna see the sun rise_  
_On your sins just me and you_

In the early morning, Lena wakes to a warm light across her pillow. She moans ever so softly in contentment as she rolls over on the soft mattress. She can’t ever remember relocating to bed, but as her eyelids flutter open for the first time, she realizes just how it is that she'd made it beneath its covers. Lena lets out another soft breath, as she focuses on Kara’s serene expression. Kara looks so utterly calm and peaceful in sleep, that Lena can’t help but feel entranced by her. Sometimes when she wakes up before Kara, she just watches her lover sleep. She just can't help herself. Kara seems so very _human_ like this, that Lena often forgets she's so much _more_. She swallows as she shifts closer to the slumbering form beside her - so close that she can feel the heat radiating off of Kara’s body. Lena thinks she’s being stealthy, of course, but Kara stirs, as if detecting her nearing proximity and the quickening of Lena's pulse. Kara’s eyes lazily blink open, and Lena gets her first glimpse of bright blue. At first, Kara looks at her with a haze in her eyes, but soon enough that haze gives way to undeniable clarity.

“Hey,” Lena whispers, a smile tugging at her lips at how adorable her girlfriend is.

“Hey, you,” Kara smiles back. She practically radiates joy, as she looks deep into Lena’s eyes. “Were you watching me sleep?” Kara asks her with amusement.

“You’re damned right I was,” Lena laughs, “I was just admiring how beautiful my girlfriend is. I mean surely I'm allowed to do that from time to time, right?"

"Lena," Kara laughs. "Of course you are. You're allowed to do anything you wish."

"Sometimes I look at you, and I just... part of me can't even believe that you're real," Lena admits. "Seriously, you have to be the most beautiful woman that this world has ever seen."

"Lee..." Kara's voice is thick with emotion, as Lena moves even closer, and reaches out a hand to touch her, hesitating at the last moment. 

"You know," Lena says conversationally, "You’re so peaceful when you sleep. Sometimes it's easy to forget that you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders.”

“I'm so-” Kara breathes as she shifts closer and gently grabs a hold of Lena’s hand beneath the blankets. Almost instinctively, she begins drawing circles on the back of Lena's hand, near the juncture of her thumb.

"Hey," Lena's voice instantly softens as she sees the emotions in Kara's eyes. "Darling, what's wrong?'

“I feel like I owe you an apology. I’m so sorry I wasn't here. I – I really wanted to be here, and I'm just – I’m sorry for letting you down.”

“You did no such thing,” Lena argues. “Kara, you saved countless lives last night. I think I can forgive you for not being here for our anniversary.”

“I just wanted it to be special,” Kara sighs, as her expression tightens with guilt, “And now it’s ruined. We can’t ever get it back.”

 _Light it up, on the run_  
_Let's make love tonight_  
_Make it up, fall in love_  
_Try_  
_(Baby, I'm right here)_

“Hey, come here,” Lena orders as she shifts closer. "I am... so very proud of you, Darling. Honestly, what you do every single day astounds me. You have given everything to the people of this city, and then some. You're incredibly brave, and so very selfless. In fact, you're so selfless that you never spare a thought for yourself. I mean, god! You nearly died last night, but your first thought upon waking wasn't for yourself, it was for _me_. It's...one of the things that I love about you. And make no mistake. I am - I am so _in love with you_ , Kara, and I promise you that a missed anniversary, a missed date... a missed _anything_ isn't going to change that."

"Lena," Kara's voice cracks on the name ever so slightly. "But what about our anniversary? Don't you want-"

"Oh, I _want_ ," Lena's voice cuts in gently. Kara swallows, as she sees desire, open and fierce upon Lena's face. "I want you so very much. So what do you say we make up for lost time? Hmm?"

Their legs tangle together under the covers, as Lena closes some of the space between them. Kara stops breathing as Lena reaches out a hand. Her palms slides over Kara’s cheek, her thumb sweeping over Kara’s bottom lip in a way that has Kara’s heart skipping beats in her chest. Kara watches as Lena’s tongue darts out to moisten her lips. She knows what comes next, but nothing can ever quite prepare her for it. The anticipation very much feels like it’s killing her. Kara’s hands are shaking ever so slightly as she reaches out to touch her girlfriend. She grabs a hold of Lena’s hip with her left hand, tugging gently on it, in order to close what distance remains between them. Kara's hand curves around Lena's back, her fingertips pressing into the grooves, located to the side of Lena's spine.

“Lena,” Kara begs, pleading with her desperately. Kara moans as Lena finally closes the distance between them. Her thumb moves out of the way just in time, lingering on Kara’s chin, as she kisses Kara with a passion and a reverence that leaves Kara little question of her feelings for her. Kara’s lips respond to hers just as hungrily, and the blonde closes what little distance that remains between them. Kara kisses her back. She kisses her like it's the only thing that matters, and Lena can’t help the faint moan that echoes around the back of her throat. She's missed this so very much. It has only been days since there was a promise of sex, but it feels like it's been weeks, years even. And yet, the fire that has always lingered between them sparks to life once more, as if it never really left them. 

Lena’s hand is suddenly in Kara's hair, exploring the soft curls that she’s fallen so in love with these last months. Kara’s hair is somewhat wild and untamed this morning. Its strands form beautiful waves on the pillow behind Kara, and Lena runs her fingers through it, admiring how soft it feels against her fingers. It’s like fine silk, and she's never quite understood how Kara manages to keep her hair in such good condition. But as she contemplates the question, Lena thinks that it must have something to do with the sun, and Kara's powers. Even now, it's strands seem to sparkle and glisten in the sunlight. She rakes her fingers over Kara’s scalp, loving how Kara responds to the attention.

The blonde hums melodically into her mouth, as Lena's nails leave faintly tingling lines in their wake. Lena traps the strands between her fingers, grabbing a hold of them in her hand. She deepens the kiss, allowing herself to revel in the feel of Kara’s mouth on her own. This is them at their finest. Kara moans as Lena’s tongue pushes into her mouth for the first time, joining Kara's tongue in her lover's mouth. It is then, and only then that Lena hesitates, wishing that she had had the forethought to brush her teeth before initiating such a thing. But Kara doesn't seem to mind in the slightest. Lena unintentionally pulls another sound from Kara's throat, as her left hand slides from its place beneath Kara's neck, and around to the front of Kara's body. 

"You're not wearing a shirt," Lena comes to this newfound revelation, between fervent kisses.

"You're just noticing this now?" Kara laughs, her voice and expression teasing.

" _Fuck_ ," Lena's voice is husky in a way that does strange things to Kara's body. Kara watches as Lena's eyes darken in degrees, first from a light green, to a darker jade, and then finally to a deep forest green with just a hint of blue.

"You're as articulate as ever, Lee," Kara tells her.

"And you're a tease, Kara," Lena shoots back.

"Are we gonna spend all morning trading lines, or are you gonna-" Lena swallows Kara next words, kissing her with nothing short of absolute desperation. There's something wild in Lena's eyes, and Kara knows better than to test her.

Before either of them can stop them, moans are slipping from lips as their bodies are sent into a frenzy fueled by unadulterated passion and desire.

Lena is gasping for breath, desperately trying to replace the air in her lungs that Kara is stealing. Kara makes her head spin. Her body feels like it is on fire, and she wants, no needs, to quell it so badly. Kara knows just how to touch her. Everywhere Kara's hands touch her, the skin tingles and burns. Kara seemingly leaves scorching flesh in her wake, as she lights Lena’s nerve endings on fire with just the pads of her fingertips. 

Kara, on the other hand, begins to crave her body so much that she pulls herself even closer to Lena, so that her entire body can rub along Lena's. They both let out a long deep moan of rapture at the same time.

 _But you'll never be alone_  
_I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_  
_I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_  
_Baby, I'm right here_  
_I'll hold you when things go wrong_  
_I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_  
_I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_  
_Baby, I'm right here_

Lena is the first to give into temptation. She can’t resist any longer and relinquishes her hold on Kara’s hair, in order to move her hands underneath the covers. Kara actually whimpers, as Lena’s hands suddenly graze against, and then palm Kara’s perfectly proportioned breasts. Thumbs suddenly brush over raised, aching nipples, and Kara’s throat opens up in a guttural moan. Without thought, Kara arches into her, pushing herself into Lena's hands. With a greedy touch, Lena gives them a slight squeeze, leaving Kara unable to do anything else by cry out in pleasure. Every inch of Kara's body is now seemingly sensitized to her lover’s touch. Lena claims Kara's mouth in her own, as she gives Kara's perfect breasts the attention they deserve. After months of exploration, Lena had uncovered just about every secret that Kara's body had to offer. She knows the all of the places that drive Kara wild, and she's never failed to utilize them. This morning is no exception.

Kara is mindless as Lena gently turns her, pushing her down onto the mattress, as she swings a leg over Kara's thighs and climbs on top of her. In the blink of an eye, Lena is on top of her, hovering. Bodies brush against one another, seemingly fitting together perfectly as they move in tandem on the bed. Kara’s hands reach up, and Lena moans in appreciation as Kara’s hands seize her hips, and warm fingers start etching patterns into her skin, finding the gap between her nightshirt and her sleep pants once more. Kara lets out a gasp as Lena’s lips latch themselves onto her jaw before kissing a pathway down her long, muscular neck.

“Oh god,” Lena breathes huskily as she catches sight of Kara’s chest for the first time in eons, “I’ve missed you so, Darling.”

“Lee,” Kara moans in a deep throaty voice, as Lena’s mouth wanders to her chest, kissing the tops of her breasts, before inevitably drifting lower. Kara moans loudly, as Lena's mouth finally closes around the taut peak, and begins to suck at it gently. Kara’s head drops back onto the mattress, and all thought and protest are taken from her. Lena's tongue is masterful, as it swirls around her nipple, drowning her lover in sensation. Lena feels a sense of loss, as Kara's hands abandon Lena's hips. But then she quickly realizes why, as she feels Kara grab the back of her head, anchoring her in place. Kara's back arches off of the mattress, as she involuntarily seeks even more closeness. Lena can almost feel Kara's desperation. It's in her touches, and the sounds that she's making. Kara is losing herself in what they're doing. That makes Lena feel proud.

Lena tugs Kara's hand from the back of her head, so that she can move, and releases Kara with a faint pop. Kara lets out a sound of mourning, but Lena quickly placates her as she kisses her way back up, taking Kara's mouth with her own, once more. As she takes Kara's mouth in another fervent kiss, one of Lena’s hands slips under the fabric of Kara’s boyshorts to the territory beneath it. Kara moans - a deep moan that shakes Lena to her very core as Lena’s deft fingers rub furiously at the small bundle of nerves that makes up Kara’s clit, spurring on sensations from nerve endings all over her body. She takes Kara's mouth in another deep kiss, moaning wantonly into Kara’s mouth. Kara returns the sentiment, moaning just as hungrily with desire.

Kara lifts her head, and Lena vaguely feels Kara’s hands come up to the front of her shirt, as she frantically starts trying to undo the buttons. But Lena shakes her head, warningly.

“No,” Lena protests. “Right now? This is all about you, my love. We can worry about me later.”

“But…”

“Kara,” Lena warns, " _Please_ , let me _do this_ for you. I want to make you feel good, Darling. We can always worry about me later." Lena watches as Kara swallows. Kara’s eyes darken just a little bit in response, and Lena can see emotions warring there in Kara's stormy blue eyes. Kara's is silently trying to decide whether to concede or disobey. Then, Lena starts moving again, and takes Kara's choice away from her.

Desperate pleas fell from Kara’s parted lips as she covers Lena’s hand with her own, trying to persuade her lover to touch her elsewhere. Kara’s head falls back against the pillows once more as Lena slips her other hand through silken strands and tugs Kara’s hair, exposing the long column of Kara’s neck, to her questing lips. There are no words for the exhilaration Lena instills in her when she touches her. It feels as though she is being worshiped, and it makes her feel safe, loved. “ _Rao_ ,” Kara gasps, “Lena, please.”

“What, Darling?” Lena husks into Kara’s ear, her breath ghosting along the shell of Kara’s ear. Lena’s lingering breaths cause shivers to course through Kara’s body. For the first time in a long time, Kara allows herself to get lost in the moment. She forgets everything else. She forgets that she's a superhero, with the weight of the world on her shoulders. Lena makes her feel human in a way no one else ever has. She makes it so _easy_ to forget.

“T-Touch me,” Kara begs. And Lena listens, though perhaps not in the way that Kara might like.

 _Go give love to your body_  
_It's only you that can stop it_  
_Go give love to your body_  
_It's only you that can stop it_

Lena finds herself running her hands over the skin of Kara’s torso again and again, admiring the perfect, flawless skin beneath them. She needs to memorize the sight of it, the feel of it under her hands. She can see the evidence of scars that riddle what would be otherwise perfection, but she only loves Kara more for it. It is a testament to her bravery, her sacrifice, and it is beautiful. It’s so beautiful that it takes Lena's breath away. Kara's body feels so warm and perfect against Lena’s. Lena tries not to remember what it felt like to watch Kara fall from the sky. She tries not to think about the fear of losing her, perhaps forever. Instead, she focuses on the here and now.

“You’re so beautiful,” Lena breathes into Kara’s ear, and the hero closes her eyes as she accepts it as truth. Somehow the way Lena says it makes her sure. She knows that Lena means it. A heartbeat later, and Lena is capturing her lips again with her own. Lena can't stop the soft moan from escaping as Kara’s hand reaches for the top of her pants and brushes the bare skin there. Suddenly Lena aches for her so unbearably. Maybe it wouldn't be such a horrible thing, if she let Kara touch her.

Kara’s lower abdomen throbs with need, so much need. She swears that she’s never wanted anything so badly in her whole life. It figures. The one time that she wants to rush things, her lover wants to slow it down and relish it for what it was. She knows that she’ll be grateful for Lena’s tenderness later, because Lena makes her feel…. _everything_. So Kara slows, and tries to calm her body’s intense burn for Lena, as she grapples with the task. Kara focuses on Lena’s shirt, again. With trembling fingers, she tries unclasping the buttons, but she can’t seem to get them undone fast enough for her liking. With a vigorous tug, Lena’s shirt is torn open and buttons are sent cascading in all directions over the bedspread and onto the floor. As Lena takes her lips in yet another deep kiss, Kara pushes the fabric off of her shoulders. Lena shrugs out of it, letting it drop behind her with a smile. Lena lets Kara admire her body, running her hands and fingertips over every contour of her chest.

"Now can I continue?" Lena questions.

With a slight inclination of the head, the smallest fraction of a nod, Lena receives her permission to continue her quest. Slowly, Lena kisses her way down Kara's perfectly sculpted neck, to the hollow between her collarbones. Kara’s hand wraps around the back of her head, holding her lips against her as she licks and nibbles her way down. Lena feels faint twinges of pain in her scalp as strands of her hair tangle around Kara’s fingers, but ignores the discomfort. She continues kissing her way down Kara’s stomach, swirling her tongue around Kara’s navel and delving into it briefly, before dipping lower and lower. Kara’s head falls back against the pillows, her eyes screwing themselves shut in anticipation, as she feels Lena’s fingertips trail faintly against her skin. She feels every one of Lena's touches in her body, down to the very molecule. In seconds, Lena is kneeling over her, drawing Kara's lacy black boy-shorts down her leg. Kara can't help but shudder as she feels Lena trailing kisses along the way. She feels her body hum in anticipation, as Lena slowly and patiently kisses her way back upwards. A moan and a gasp escape from her lips, as Lena's lips meet the hypersensitive skin of her inner thigh, nipping at the skin there. Another inarticulate noise escapes her, as Lena nuzzles blonde curls, drinking in the scent of Kara’s arousal.

 _Go give love to your body_  
_It's only you that can stop it_  
_Go give love to your body_  
_Go give love to your body_

“Oh  _Rao_ ,” Kara gasps, her hands burying themselves in Lena’s hair as she tries to direct her lover to where she needs her most. Lena, however, needs no direction. Kara tries not to scream as Lena's confident tongue darts out to taste her. Kara’s body arches off of the mattress as her hands release their hold on Lena, instead choosing to clench into fists at her sides as Lena takes one bold lick, then another and another. It’s been so long since they’ve been able to do this – too long. And Kara swears that she has never felt anything so incredible in all of her life. She squeezes her eyes shut, as suddenly two fingers are pushing into her, drawing in and out with purposeful strokes, while Lena’s tongue expertly works her up to an orgasm.

“Lee…” Kara can’t even finish the word as her breaths became ragged, and uneven. She is left struggling to grapple with the extreme amounts of pleasure. It is almost too much. _Almost_. It is pleasure and it is pain. And Kara is afraid of losing control. It would be so easy to forget that she had superhuman strength. But she can’t ever let herself forget, lest she forget and accidentally hurt the woman she loves. So she wraps her hands in the bed sheets, clinging to them desperately as she tries to maintain control over the muscles in her body. The truth is, she so desperately needs release. She needs it in a way that she's never needed it before. Kara feels her body tighten itself up into a tightly wound coil, as Lena continues to swirl her dexterous tongue around her. Kara actually shudders, as Lena rapidly flicks her clit with her tongue, over and over again.

“Oh fuck. Lena, I think I’m,” Kara’s words cut off as she feels a telltale twinge in her abdomen. She's so close to cuming, but she's afraid of what happens if she does. “I’m going to-“

“Shh,” Lena hums, between the slurping noises she's making with her mouth, “It’s okay, Darling. You can let go. Just let go for me.”

“I - I can't. I don’t want to hurt you, Lee,” Kara admits. “I’m losing control. I think you need to - you need to stop.”

“It’s okay,” Lena’s voice is surprisingly calm and soothing, “You’re not going to hurt me, I promise. I’ve got you, Kara. I’ve got you now. You can let go for me.” Lena quickly withdraws her fingers from inside of Kara, instead relying on her skilled tongue to make Kara come apart. Only a heartbeat after the words have been spoken, Lena sucks Kara’s bundle of nerves gently into her mouth, and Kara’s body goes rigid as she feels herself catapulted over the edge. She finds herself screaming Lena's name as she does so. A healthy flush works its way onto her cheeks as she realizes just how much she’s shuddering with her release. Kara’s eyes open as she sinks back down onto the mattress. Her skin glistens with a thin sheen of sweat, leftover from the strain of all of the muscles in her body tensing at once. She’s more than a little breathless, in the wake of such a powerful orgasm. In fact, she’s not sure she’s ever cum so hard before. She stares at the ceiling, consumed by the bliss she has just experienced. Even a full minute later, her chest is still bobbing wildly in the air as she struggles to recover from what they have just done. She will never regret surrendering in such a way. She can't. After all, her heart is Lena’s, and it has been for a long time now. But it scares her, how _much_ she cares for Lena. She doesn’t know what she will do, if things ever end badly.

 _But you'll never be alone_  
_I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_  
_I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_  
_Baby, I'm right here_  
_I'll hold you when things go wrong_  
_I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_  
_I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_  
_Baby, I'm right here_  
_I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_  
_Baby, I'm right here_

Slowly, Lena gently pulls herself up her lover’s body. She tries not to look too smug as she swims into Kara’s view. She’s still licking her lips, as she locks onto Kara’s bottomless blue eyes. Lena silently reckons that it’s like looking into the ocean, where you can’t begin to fathom just how far down the bottom really is. Lena’s bright green eyes are even more beautiful and expressive than usual, as she holds Kara’s gaze.

“Hi,” Lena’s smile is dazzling, as she catches Kara's gaze.

“Hi,” Kara breathes as she leans up to capture Lena’s mouth with her own. "That was...That was amazing."  Lena hums contentedly into the kiss, and they kiss lazily for several minutes. Kara moans, as she tastes a hint of herself on Lena’s lips. Finally, Lena pulls away, and settles against Kara with a sated sigh. Kara rakes her fingers lazily through Lena’s hair, all while Lena traces the curves and twists of Kara’s tattoo on her ribcage.

“What does this grouping of symbols mean?” Lena asks as she traces the outline of the fifth symbol. “I know what the other four are, but it never occurred to me to look up the meaning of the fifth.”

“Oh,” Kara swallows. Kara’s fingers still in Lena’s hair, as she contemplates how best to explain it to Lena. “Well, the answer to that is sort of complicated, because there’s no English equivalent to the word I used.”

“But if you had to come up with a word to describe it, what would it be?” Lena asks.

“Umm… Well, do you remember what I told you about the matrix?”

“Yeah,” Lena nodded against Kara’s chest, “You said that your mates, your marriages were chosen for you based on compatibility.”

“Exactly,” Kara responds. “So we didn’t have any freedom when it came to choosing our family. Obviously, there was the blood we were born into, and the family that we married into, but neither of those choices were really _ours_.” Kara takes a steadying breath, and says. “That’s what the last symbol means. You’re the one that I _choose_. You’re my family, Lena. And it means a lot to me, that I live in a world where I get to choose.” Lena feels tears build in her eyes as she realizes just how serious things are between the both of them.

“I want one,” Lena whispers finally, after she’s sure she’s composed enough to speak.

“Hmm?” Kara hums absentmindedly. 

“I want a tattoo,” Lena clarifies.

“Oh, another one?” Kara questions. “Have you given any thought to what it’ll be? Like a feather? Or a sun? I think you’ve mentioned wanting both of those things to me before.”

“No, Kara,” Lena laughs, “God, you’re adorable. But _no_. What I meant is that I want a tattoo like yours. I want your name...” Lena grabs a hold of Kara’s hand then, and brings it to her own chest, “Here.”

“Oh,” Kara gasps, seemingly overcome with emotion. “Oh, wow! Are you... sure? I mean, doesn’t that seem a little-“ Kara hesitates at the last moment.

“A little what?” Lena’s eyes flash, challenging Kara to finish her thought.

“A little final?” Kara finishes bravely, “I mean, what if – what if things don’t work out between us? What if you change your mind and decide that this isn't what you want? I mean -  _Rao_ , what if you decide that you don’t want to be with me anymore?”

“Why on earth would you think that?” Lena asks as she suddenly pushes herself up, so that she can look into Kara’s eyes, “God, Kara, how on earth could you possibly think that I would _ever_ change my mind? Do you really think so little of me?”

“No! Hey, it’s,” Kara shakes her head, “It’s not anything against you, Lena, I promise. I guess– I guess that I’m just afraid that you’re going to get sick of waiting for me all of the time. I know that loving me can’t be easy.”

“Kara,” Lena says thickly, “ _Light_ of my life, _woman_ of my dreams, you don’t seem to understand. Loving you? Loving you is easily the _easiest_ thing that I have _ever_ _done_. In fact, it’s as easy to me as breathing, or eating, or walking. It’s just… You’re _it_ for me, you know? The fact is, I can’t ever imagine loving anyone else. I don’t _want_ to, because I am so utterly and completely in love with you. And despite what you might think, I am _never_ going to change my mind about that.” Then. “Look, I’m not saying that the other stuff is going to be easy. But I have no doubt that we’ll make it through, because _my love_ and _your love_ is enough to get us through just about anything." Silence builds between them for several moments, before Lena speaks again.

"Do you remember how I found out your secret?" Lena questions.

"Yeah," Kara nods. "It was after my fight with Reign. Just after Christmas."

"J'onn came to work as _you_ , trying to throw me off of my suspicions," Lena reminds her. "I'd noticed you missing from my life after Supergirl's fight with Reign, and James was acting strangely, trying to protect your secret and mourn you at the same time. I just knew. I _knew_ something wasn't right."

"Alex told me all of this," Kara swallows.

"I knew the second that you said hello to me that day that it wasn't really you," Lena laughs. "I _confronted_ him. I told him that I didn't know who the hell he was, but that I knew it wasn't _you_. I was - I was so angry, Kara, because I couldn't bear the way that your eyes were so devoid of their usual light. I couldn't bear the fact that the smile you gave me that day was a fraction of what it usually was. I threatened him... I made him confess to me who he was. He warned me that I didn't want to know the truth - not really, but he still took me to the DEO anyway. He led me to the room where you were being kept in stasis, while knowing that I would never be able to handle the truths that came with me being right. And god, as I saw the way that Alex spoke to you - the way she touched the outside of that tank you were being kept in - I knew then that it was _you_. I've never wanted to be wrong. But that day? That day I would have given anything to be mistaken. Just. that. once."

"Lee," Kara's voice breaks as she feels the tears of guilt come back. Even after all of this time, she still felt guilty for the things that had transpired.

"That was easily the scariest moment of my entire life, Kara," Lena tells her honestly, "Scarier than the time you were run through with that Kryptonite blade, or last night, when you fell from the sky. Because I watched that fight transpire between you and Reign. I watched you give it everything that you had, and it wasn't _good_   _enough_. I realized then that it was entirely possible for you to die. The way that Alex looked at me when she found me in that doorway? The way she looked at me with so much uncertainty, so much fear? It scared the hell out of me. _That_ was the moment that I knew for sure that I _loved_ you... that I was in love with you. Because I couldn't bear the thought of losing you."

"You've never told me any of this before," Kara says breathlessly.

"Because I am so embarrassed that it took you nearly dying for me to realize how I felt about you," Lena admits.

"I wanted to be angry with you for lying to me," Lena swallows. "But the anger never came for me in the way that I expected it to... Instead, I felt only regret."

"You seem worried that I'm going to change my mind about this - about _us_ , but my whole point in telling you all of this, is that I'm not going to ever change my mind about you, Kara," Lena continues. "Because I decided a _very_ long time ago that I was going to be with you to the very end. I will love you until I draw my last breath."

"So you're sure. You're _completely_ sure about this?" Kara asks her, as she looks deep into Lena's deep green eyes.

"Yes," Lena swallows, then nods resolutely, "I'm sure."

"Good, then I know just the place," Kara smiles. "I've actually been wanting to introduce you to someone for a while now, and this seems like the perfect time to do it." Kara throws back the covers, and climbs out of bed. Lena's skin flushes as she's treated to the sight of her girlfriend's spectacular and muscular backside. Lena briefly feels her stomach coil with want. "Come on, " Kara implores her as she starts rushing about the room, throwing on clothes hastily in her efforts to hurry them out of there.

"Not to be a buzz kill, but don't we have work?" Lena asks.

"Nope," Kara responds, letting the 'p' of her answer pop just a little bit in her excitement. "It's Saturday. The day after our anniversary. I've sworn off work for the day."

"Kara," Lena protests. "I usually work on Saturdays."

"Come on, Lena," Kara says challengingly, "You haven't taken a day off in the entire six months we've been together. I'm pretty sure James and Sam can manage without you for _one day_. Try and have a little fun for once."

"Fine," Lena huffs as she rolls towards the edge of the bed, and stands, "But you should know that I'm doing so under protest."

"Mmm," Kara hums as she walks over, and pulls Lena into a kiss that is far too short for the younger woman's liking. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Lena reciprocates, albeit a little breathlessly. "Now what's first on the agenda?"

"Well, I was thinking of taking you to breakfast," Kara smiles, "but before that, there are a couple of things I want to give you that I didn't get the chance to bestow upon you last night."

"You _didn't_ ," Lena tells her, feigning displeasure, "Kara, you _promised_ _me_ that you wouldn't buy me anything."

"Technically, I only bought you one thing," Kara shrugs. "And as for the other thing? Well, I guess you'll just have to wait and see, now won't you?"

"Just so you know, I'm extremely cross with you right now," Lena huffs, but the twinkle in her eyes belies that fact.

"I'm pretty sure you aren't," Kara says with a waggle of her eyebrows. "Besides, what is the purpose of having a girlfriend, if I can't spoil her at every turn?"

"You're infuriating."

"And you _love me_ for it," Kara says confidently, as she pulls Lena in for a deep kiss. Lena returns it wholeheartedly. "Now get dressed!" Kara instructs her in her most authoritative voice.

 _I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_  
_Baby, I'm right here_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! So that's it for now, but there will be another chapter (where Lena get the tattoo and meets Ryan, etc.) There might even be a fourth chapter depending on what I decide. But I have plans that I might want to write out. 
> 
> I have been absolutely blown away by the response this story has gotten. I never expected that it would get so much love from you guys, and that truly means the world to me, so thank you! 
> 
> If you have a minute, please take a second to like or comment! I would greatly appreciate any and all feedback that you're willing to give!


	3. Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena make the most of the morning after their anniversary
> 
> AND
> 
> Lena gets her tattoo
> 
> AND
> 
> Fluff. Lots and lots of fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own any rights for Supergirl or the DC universe! All of my content is made for recreational purposes only and is not for profit. (So please don't sue me!)
> 
> Hey, guys! I'm really sorry that I haven't written anything in a few days! I got super sick with a cold, and so I've been lying low for a little while. Anyway, I wanted to try and get back into writing for my favorite couple (after my little impromptu break) and this made the most sense to me. I wanted to give this story a rousing finish.
> 
> I couldn't think of a good place to finish this one. So there will most likely be an epilogue after this one! And I already have it planned out, so it shouldn't be too long before I write it and post it. :)

_Everybody's looking out_  
_For that fairytale kind of love they hear about_  
_No one believed it, used to doubt_  
_But your love has turned me upside down_  
_Love should be easy_  
_Like a sunny day since you came my way_  
_I tell 'em you just complete me_  
_When they ask me how we do it, babe_

“Kara, Darling, I know you’re eager to get going, but would you mind it terribly if I took a quick shower before we headed out?” Lena questions, as she meets Kara's gaze.

“No, of course not,” Kara assures her, "Go right on ahead." Then, she thinks to add, “Actually, would it be okay if I joined you?”

“I - I'm not sure... I mean, wouldn’t that kind of defeat the whole purpose?” Lena asks her with a flirtatious lilt to her voice, as she starts heading for the en-suite bathroom. "We've done this enough times before, in order for me to know how it inevitably ends. Taking showers together almost always results in shower sex. Mainly because you can't seem to keep your hands to yourself when it comes to me."

"Oh, so it's my fault, huh?" Kara challenges. They both know that it's a load of bullshit. If anything, _Lena_ is the one who can't seem to help herself when it comes to Kara. Then again, Lena doesn't think anyone could really blame her. Kara was a goddess. Her body was out of this world. Literally.

"Mmm," Lena hums, in the affirmative.

“Aww, come on! I can help wash your back,” Kara says with a suggestive waggle of her eyebrows, “and all of those pesky, hard-to-reach places. I'll be a perfect gentlewoman. I won't try and pull anything, I swear.”

“Oh, is that all you’d be doing?” Lena shoots back at her, as she turns and meets Kara’s stormy blue eyes. She doesn't break eye contact, as she tugs at the drawstring of her silk pajama bottoms. They loosen around her hips, and Lena slowly shimmies out of them with a tantalizing shake of her hips. She watches the muscles in Kara’s throat bob, as Lena lets them drop to the floor, where they form a shallow pool around her ankles. Lena smirks, as she watches Kara’s eyes darken incrementally, until the iris of her deep blue eyes is all but non-existent.

“In that case, feel free to join me,” Lena speaks in a husky voice, as she steps out from the middle of the pool, abandoning her silk pajama bottoms on the floor. She watches Kara's eyes slowly rake up her legs. She can't seem to hide the look of hunger in her gaze, as she takes in Lena's exquisite form. Kara's gaze touches on Lena's ankles first, then moves slowly up her calves and smooth, creamy thighs, before they finally fixate on the fabric covering Lena's center. Her eyes quickly find the place where the fabric has been soaked through. Lena can see Kara's emotions rapidly playing across her face, and in her eyes. At the forefront of these emotions, is desire, unabashed and unhindered. Here in this room, there is no need to hide what they're feeling. There's no need to pretend they don't drive each other crazy with want. Lena loves that she can still have such an effect on Kara, even after all of this time together. 

“But you have to promise not to touch me inappropriately,” Lena says in a low voice. “If you touch me in any way that I don’t like, I’m kicking you out. I don’t care if you haven’t had a chance to rinse off. You’ll be out. Do you understand?”

“Uh huh,” Kara's voice is more than a little bit unsteady as she responds, "I understand."

“Good, then we seem to have an accord,” Lena speaks in a scratchy voice. It's not lost on Kara how Lena's green eyes gleam as she holds Kara's gaze.

Kara’s jaw actually falls open a smidgen, as she watches Lena hook her fingers under the string of her panties, and tug them down her legs. Kara swallows again, over a throat that is far too dry, as she follows the path of the lacy fabric down Lena's legs, before Lena ultimately drops them to the floor. Kara unconsciously licks her lips, as she sees the way that Lena’s dark curls are damp with arousal that had never been fully sated. After all, how could it ever be in Kara’s presence? Lena will never fail to want Kara in such a way.

Kara's eyes linger on the moisture that is glistening on Lena's pale, curvy thighs and she can't help but think about taking her mouth to the skin there. She thinks about how glorious it would be to taste her - how amazing it would be to lose herself in Lena's slick heat. Kara feels desire burn hotly inside of her. Kara is kindling, and she's slowly catching fire under Lena's heated gaze. In mere seconds, a flame that was once born of a single spark has turned into a raging, blazing inferno. It's almost painful. No. There's no _almost_ about it - it's it's agony in the worst way. She feels desperation in a way she's never quite felt it before. She loves Lena. She's in love with her, and there's not a single thing about her that Kara doesn't love.

Kara can't help but wonder how she can still feel all of these things for Lena? After all, aren't these sorts of feelings supposed to fade over time? And if this were so, then why - why do Kara's feelings only seem to be getting stronger with each passing moment? 

“I guess I’ll see you in there,” Lena gives Kara a dangerous look, as she saunters past Kara with a sway of her hips and enters the bathroom. It's almost as if she's daring Kara to follow. It's like she's challenging her to follow through on all of the dirty fantasies that are currently playing through Kara's mind. Kara thinks of doing a thousand things, all at once, and something in Kara’s brain short-circuits. She suddenly knows that she will never be able to refrain from touching Lena, not in a million years. There's not a single chance in hell that she will ever be able to make it through a shower with Lena without touching her. She is completely and thoroughly fucked, and not above knowing so.

Kara is still standing there, seemingly frozen, when she hears Lena tug open the shower door, and switch on the shower. Water creaks through the pipes for a fraction of a second, before Kara hears the water gush out of the shower head. 

“Darling?” Lena calls out from the other room, spurring Kara into action, "The water is running. Are you coming?"

“Yeah! I'll be right there,” Kara calls out, in a traitorous squeak of her voice. Kara feels herself flush with the heat of her embarrassment as she hears Lena’s accompanying laughter. Lena seems to know exactly what she is doing to Kara. Kara stumbles into the bathroom, while simultaneously trying to disrobe. She feels her breath slam to a halt in her lungs, as Lena turns and fixes Kara with an almost predatory stare. Kara actually gulps right then and there, as Lena slowly meanders towards her. Kara clenches her jaw, silently resolving not to touch her girlfriend, no matter how badly she wants to. No. She isn't going to let Lena win this time. She's going to resist her, if it very well kills her. 

Kara starts pulling the hem of her shirt over her head. She feels the skin-tight fabric peel away from her stomach. Lena's next words cause her to pause in her actions.

 _So chalk it up to chemistry_  
_There's some magic between you and me_  
_Some might call it destiny_  
_But you and I, we cracked the code_

“Hold on,” Lena orders her, as she closes in on Kara's current position. “I - I want to do it,” Lena tells her. However, Kara fights her on this.

Kara tries to back away from Lena, but her struggle is in vain. Kara quickly runs out of space, and Lena licks her lips, as she gently backs Kara against the door. Kara lets out a shuddering breath, as her back strikes the immovable door. Her breaths quicken as she realizes the position she's in. Kara is trapped now. She can feel the brass doorknob dig into the small of her back, but that sensation is quickly drowned out by the feeling of Lena's warm breath on her face. Kara briefly toys with the idea of trying to escape, but Lena catches her at it. She pushes Kara back against the door with a perfectly placed palm to the center of Kara's chest. Kara feels that singular touch everywhere in her body. Even after all of this time, she's still not used to Lena taking charge like this.

As Kara peers deep into Lena's eyes, she sees something ravenous and desperate. She loves how expressive and open Lena can be, especially because she knows that she is the singular exception. With everyone else, Lena tended to hide her emotions. But with Kara? With Kara Lena wasn't afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve. She wasn't afraid to show Kara just how much she means to her.

“Lena,” Kara speaks with a hint of warning to her voice. “If I can’t touch you, then you can’t touch me. It’s only fair!”

“That wasn’t part of the accord we made, Kara,” Lena informs her, with a knowing glint in her eyes. “You accepted the terms I laid out, without any argument whatsoever. You said nothing about me not being able to touch you.”

“You’re - You are too smart for your own good, sometimes,” Kara grits out, with a defiant flash of her bright blue eyes. “Ugh… Why did I have to fall in love with a damned genius?”

"Hmm," Lena’s only answer is to hum in response. Then Lena seems to think better of it, and says, "So you love me, huh?" Her eyes are bright and teasing. She says these words conversationally, as if they aren't both half naked in the bathroom and about to have hot, steamy sex.

"Kara," Lena says seriously. There's a hint of desperation in her eyes. Her expression is closed off in a way that Kara is unprepared for, and there's a hint of fear lingering underneath the surface. Kara knows that Lena will always be a bit insecure when it comes to love. After all, Lena had spent most of her life in an apathetic environment, very much devoid of the love she deserved. It was why Kara made a point to tell her she loved her every day. Hell, Kara would happily tell her a million times if she thought she could heal the cracks in Lena's heart.

"Hey," Kara whispers, "Don't do that. Don't doubt me.  _Please_. I love you so much, Lee."

Lena's eyes flutter closed as she basks in the rapture of those words - as she lets them wash over her. "Say it again," Lena's voice takes on a hint of pleading to it, " _Please_."

"Lee," Kara sighs.

" _Please_ ," Lena's voice is thick as her eyes spring open and she meets Kara's gaze, "I'll never tire of hearing you say it. You could tell me a million times and I would still never tire of it."

Lena's eyelids flutter closed, as Kara reaches up to her face, and a soft hand slides over her cheek. The touch is feather-light, but Lena feels it, acutely. "I love you," Kara whispers, nearly breathes, as she leans forward and presses her forehead to Lena's. "I will always love you, Lee." Lena's eyes spring open, as Kara adds, "I'm yours."

"Mine?" Lena's heart skips a beat as she takes in this new promise. She's not sure that she's ever heard Kara refer to herself as Lena's before. It sparks something in her chest, something fierce and uncontrolled.

"Yours," Kara repeats. Lena shudders. Kara can hear Lena's heart going crazy, as the word settles between them like a promise. Kara lets her hand fall away from Lena's face.

Kara can't help the groan that slips from her lips, as she feels Lena’s sure hands take control of her own, tugging them away from her shirt. Kara lets them drop to her sides. Her hands and fingers twitch slightly as she fights the urge to reach out and touch Lena, but for every second that passes, it gets harder and harder to do. She can feel the warmth of Lena’s palms against her midriff, and she can't help but feel extremely overwhelmed by it all. She feels a million things all at once. But mostly, she can feel the pads of Lena's fingers, pressing against her skin. She can feel the patterns they draw against her skin, down to the very molecule. It sparks something in Kara's chest. Kara's breath quickens as she loses herself in those touches, and in the feelings that they evoke. Kara’s eyelids flutter closed as Lena loses control of her own impulses, and claims Kara’s lips with her own.

Kara’s head thuds backwards against the door, as Lena kisses her with a little too much enthusiasm, and Kara can't counter quickly enough to avoid the collision. The sound of the wood splintering, and the small crater that is left behind by Kara's head, is lost on them as they deepen the kiss. Lena backs off for a moment, giving Kara a chance to recover, before she's kissing Kara again. This time, Lena restrains herself just a little bit. The kiss starts out slow and soft, before growing in desperation as Kara’s top is slowly raised and collected by Lena’s eager and insistent hands. Kara kisses her back slowly and passionately, as if they have all of the time in the world. And Lena reckons that maybe they do, because she wants forever with Kara, too.

The kiss deepens. Still, despite all of the passion that is conveyed through the kiss, Kara does not lay a hand on her. She lifts her arms up, and aids Lena in disposing of the item of clothing, but she does not reach out for her. Kara tosses it away without another thought, before unclasping her bra and discarding it as well. There is a hint smugness in Kara’s eyes, as she watches Lena’s eyes rake over her body again, with an undeniable hunger evident in her green eyes. It is almost as if they hadn’t done all of this just minutes before.

 _Everybody wants to know the secret, oh oh_  
_How do we keep it so good?_  
_Got something special, you and me, babe, oh oh_  
_Got everyone knocking on wood_  
_And it all gets better every single day_  
_I don't wanna call it perfect, babe_  
_But we must be doing something right_  
_Everybody wants to find the secret, oh oh_  
_How do we keep it so good?_

In another breath, Lena is curling a hand around the back of Kara’s neck and is pulling her closer. Lena moans deeply into Kara's mouth, as their bare chests brush together for the first time this morning. They both lose themselves in the rapture of the the moment, as soft, heated skin presses against heated skin. It's every bit as good as they remember. 

“God, you’re so beautiful,” Lena's breathless words stoke the inferno raging inside of Kara's chest, as Lena’s warm breath ghosts over her lips, sending a fresh array of shivers rocketing down Kara’s spine. “Even after all of this time, I look at you, and I still can’t believe you’re mine.” Kara squeezes her eyes shut, letting her head drop back against the door, as a quavering breath falls from her parted lips.

“What can I do to make you believe it?” Kara can hardly think straight as Lena’s hands continue in their quest over her body. Kara moans, as she is suddenly overcome. Lena’s lips and fingers seemed to be lighting her on fire, and she can't seem to fight it. “Because I love you, and I'm yours.” Kara promises her. Her voice is thick with sincerity, and with arousal. And Lena knows that if Kara’s eyes were open that she would most likely see tears in her eyes, too.

“I love you so much it hurts,” Lena admits, as tears build in her own eyes. “I honestly don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost you.”

“You won’t,” Kara promises her, “I am yours for all of time, Lee. And you can believe that. I would – I would move heaven and earth to be with you. This I swear to you.” Kara punctuates this, by reaching out for Lena. Lena feels Kara’s hand curl around the back of her neck. Kara brings their lips together, and kisses her slowly and deeply. Lena can't stop the sound that escapes her, as Kara’s tongue pushes into her own mouth. 

Their next kiss is full of unspoken promises, a lifetime full of promises, and Lena feels this kiss in her very soul.

Lena swallows Kara's next sounds, stifling them, as her fingers etch more patterns into her skin - nonsensical patterns with no beginning and no end. Lena’s mouth migrates, placing firm kisses to the underside of Kara’s strong jaw.

Kara's eyelids flutter shut, as she threads her hand through Lena's locks. She can feel Lena’s lips on her neck, and her pulse begins to race out of control. Usually, Kara would fight this - she would try to slow it. But this time, she lets Lena feel it. She lets her know how wild Lena makes her feel every time she touches her. She breathes hard and fast, as she focuses on the feeling of Lena's lips against her pulse point.

"Your heart is beating so fast right now," Lena says as she chances a look at Kara.

"It's _your fault_ ," Kara gasps. "You're doing it to me."

"You're not about to have a heart attack on me, are you?" Lena teases.

"I wouldn't know," Kara laughs, though the sound is breathless. The laughter unfurls something warm and pleasant in Lena's chest. "I'm not sure it's possible for me to have a heart-attack. But if anyone would be the one to test that, it would be you. You drive me crazy."

"Crazy?" Lena asks, with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"A good kind of crazy," Kara amends. "The best kind. You make me feel like I've never been touched before in my life. Every time with you feels like the first time."

"It's like that for me too," Lena admits.

"Yeah?" Kara asks. Lena gasps as she realizes that Kara's crystalline blue eyes are suddenly open.

"Yeah," Lena affirms.

Kara is still pinned against the door, with Lena’s body pressing eagerly into hers. And Kara can't breathe. She can't breathe because she was so very overwhelmed by the feel of Lena’s hands on her. Kara moans again as her body responds to Lena. She fights it, squeezing her eyes shut as she fights her every impulse to turn Lena and fuck her up against the door. Lena’s lips feel so good on her skin. Lena's hands feel so right clasped tightly around her hips, and Kara can't think of anywhere else she'd rather be. Lena's touches are firm, and almost possessive. It makes Kara feel wanted.

Lena’s lips are soft and insistent, as they press firmly against Kara's igneous skin. They apply just the right amount of pressure. Kara can feel the passion, and the sort of desperation behind each of her lover’s touches. They make Kara hungry in a way that she has never hungered before. Who needed food, when there was this? Her entire body seems to be crying out to be taken. She can feel shocks coursing under her skin, heating countless nerve endings along the way. It ignites every inch of her. It makes her feel as if she is about to catch fire. The painful throbbing in her core seems to be growing worse by the moment.

“Fuck,” Lena breathes, as Kara kisses her again. In a sort of dance, Lena continues divesting Kara of her clothes. Kara gasps as Lena’s hands move to the button of her pants and brush against the taught muscles in Kara’s abdomen. All of the muscles there tense in response. Kara moans as Lena takes a detour, in order to trace the outlines and notches between those muscles. Lena shivers as she thinks about all of the raw strength that Kara possesses.

"You're a tease," Kara admonishes, as Lena draws more shudders from her.

In another kiss, Kara’s pants are being tugged down Kara’s narrow hips and are dropping onto the floor. Kara stumbles out of the fabric with a deep chuckle. She laughs even louder when she nearly trips and falls deeper into Lena’s arms. Lena catches her. Lena's eyelids flutter closed as Kara begins to trail kisses from the bottom of her ear, down her neck, and to the territory beyond it. Lena lets out a moan as Kara’s lips brush against the salty skin at the base of Lena’s neck.

“Kara,“ Lena’s breathing hitches, as Kara finds that one spot that drives her completely wild. And though it is barely more than a whisper, Kara can still hear the desperate plea in it. Kara takes a deep breath, and then reaches down to stop the progress of Lena’s hands. After all, Lena is keeping her from coherent thought, and Kara needs to think.

Lena, sensing something is wrong, immediately pulls away with her eyes full of concern.

“Shower,” Kara pants in response. And Lena nods, taking Kara’s lips in another passionate kiss. Kara moans as Lena’s fingers slide beneath her panties to brush hot, slick skin. Kara’s knees nearly buckle underneath her, as Lena hastily begins stroking small concentric circles over the bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs. “God, Lee,” Kara groans. Lena quickly withdraws her hand, leaving Kara with a feeling of sudden emptiness. Kara protests, grabbing Lena’s wrist as if she can will her to continue.

“Shower,” Lena murmurs gently, making her intent known to Kara. Kara quickly slides her own underwear down her legs, as steam billows out into the room. When she steps forward, Lena's gaze slams into Kara's own.

Lena’s breath falters as they hold each other’s gaze for one long, heart-stopping moment. They're both unbelievably still as they hold each other's gaze. Then, they're both spring into motion at the exact same moment. Kara lets out a moan as Lena pulls her in for another frenzied kiss. Kara responds to it with so much vigor that she nearly pushes Lena backwards into the tub. Fortunately, Kara’s reflexes are superb and she catches Lena around the waist before she can fall.

Together, they move for the shower without breaking contact. They move under the spray, and shut the door behind them. Kara groans as the hot water makes contact with her aching body, and she feels her muscles respond to it. She hadn’t realized how sore she was from yesterday’s events, until now. Luckily, Lena was the perfect distraction.

Lena moans as Kara’s mouth latches itself onto the skin between Lena’s neck and right clavicle, licking and sucking on the flesh there. With a bit of pressure, Kara bites down on the flawless expanse, as if to mark or claim her. She stops only when Lena forces her head back upwards, in order to give her access to Kara's mouth. With a fair amount of force, Kara pushes Lena under the spray.

“Kara,” Lena pleads between kisses that leave her entire body desperate for Kara’s touch, but Kara’s hands stay resolutely on her hips. Lena swears, the sound rattling around in the back of her throat, as she feels Kara’s mouth wander over her body, lapping up the water on her skin. Then, just as suddenly as it all started, it stops. Kara feels Lena's hands in her hair, as she attempts pull Kara's lips against her body once more. But Kara doesn't take the direction, and pulls away. There is a wicked look in her eye, as she reaches for the shampoo. Lena watches, seemingly in disbelief, as Kara squirts a dollop of the shampoo into her palm and reaches out for Lena’s head. She begins working her fingers through Lena’s hair, massaging Lena’s scalp as she gradually works it through Lena's dark tresses. She uses her own body to shield Lena from the spray of water.

“Kara, what are you doing?” Lena asks, as Kara retracts her hands and grabs the loofa from its hook on the shower wall. Kara picks up the bar of soap from the tray, and works it to a lather using the sponge. She turns Lena, so that she is facing away from her and begins to wash her back.

“Me? Oh, I’m just upholding my end of the deal,” Kara tells her, as she runs the loofa over Lena’s flawless skin, lathering her with copious amounts of soap. “I’m afraid that if you want anything else from me, then you’re going to have to ask me for it,” Kara informs her. “Actually, after what you just put me through, you’re going to have to _beg me_ for it.”

“Kara,” Lena groans, as Kara slides her hand around Lena’s right hip from behind. “Kara, I swear to god. Now is not the time to be making some kind of a point. I’m more than a little desperate, and I'm _extremely_ turned on…”

“Then I guess you had better start begging,” Kara exhales into Lena’s ear, earning a shiver from her as she presses her lips to the spot behind it.

"I'm gonna kill you," Lena groans.

"Mmm," Kara hums, "Funny. That doesn't sound anything like begging to me."

"Kara," the sternness in Lena's voice is undone by the underlying quaver of desperation in Lena's voice.

"Come on, Lee," Kara breathes, "You can do it. I know you can."

"No," Lena shakes her head. "No, I won't. Luthors don't beg. Luthors don't kneel."

"No?" Kara asks her. Lena shakes her head resolutely.

"You're so stubborn," Kara chuckles, "Alright, have it your way then, Princess."

“Fine! I guess that I'll just take care of it myself,” Lena hisses. Only, when Lena goes to touch herself, Kara intercepts Lena’s hand with her own and holds it resolutely in her own. Lena fights her for a moment, but she knows that there's no chance in hell that she'll be able to wrestle her hand free. 

"Uh uh," Kara chides, "Not so fast."

“Fuck,” Lena exhales shakily, as she feels Kara’s other hand start drawing small circles on the bone of her right hip. “ _P-Please_ ,” Lena breathes. “Oh god, please...  _p_ _lease touch me_ ,” Lena's voice quavers with undeniable desperation in her voice. “Kara, I’m begging you,” Lena nearly sobs, as she feels Kara’s lips press against the juncture between her neck and shoulder. She feels Kara nibble there. She feels the scrape of teeth against hers skin and it sets her on _fire_. "Just - _touch me_. I'll do anything you want. _Please_."

"Mmm,” Kara hums into her ear between kisses. “See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Kara breathes into Lena’s ear. The warm, heated breath lingering on Lena’s neck makes her squirm just a little bit in Kara's hold.

Lena closes her eyes as she feels Kara’s hand start guiding her own inwards over the slick flesh of her stomach. From there, Kara’s hand guides it slowly down her midline to the expectant flesh between her legs. By now, Lena is throbbing for Kara’s touch - so much so that when it finally comes, she loses all control of her body and its desires. At the very moment that her fingers find purchase on their intended target, Lena’s hips buck forwards into her and Kara’s waiting hand. Lena groans. It feels so good, she honestly can't put it into words.

"That's it," Kara soothes, "Touch yourself for me." Lena follows Kara's instructions. Her fingers play over her clit for several moments, before they dip lower and move towards where she desperately wants them. Lena hears a sound pass from Kara's lips as she pushes inside. Lena lets out a sigh of relief as her walls close around her own fingers.

Lena turns her head slightly to the side, and Kara's lips crash against her own, drawing a desperate sound from Lena's throat. She feels the coolness of the tile against her front, as Kara pushes Lena into the shower wall, trapping her own arm against Lena’s body. Lena gasps, as Kara’s fingers push down, before curling up and pushing into warm, soft, velvet to join with Lena's. They slot themselves into the spaces between Lena's own fingers, and Lena moans. She's suddenly so full that it's stretching her walls deliciously, and Lena can't breathe. The kiss breaks. Lena's breathless. She can't bring herself to move just yet, as she tries to get used to the feeling of having hers and Kara's fingers inside of her.

"Is this okay?" Kara husks in her ear.

Lena doesn't trust her voice, so she just nods. "Are you sure?"

"Y-Yes," Lena's voice cracks. She begins to rock against Kara's hand, as much as their positions will allow. Kara presses closer, and Lena moans loudly as she can feel the raw heat of Kara's rigid body against her back.

"Good?" Kara checks again, as she begins aiding Lena's movement.

"So," Lena inhales, before letting out a soft exhale, "Good." In response, she feels Kara's fingers curl up and into the front of her walls, in a way that is extremely satisfying. She lets out another loud moan at the amount of pleasure that each rock of her hips grants her. Lena hips continue to rock into Kara’s hand as much as they can, considering Lena’s position against the shower wall. Her loud moans echo around the shower walls, as Kara continues to passionately take her. Kara is so tightly pressed against Lena’s back that Lena can feel everywhere they are pressed together. Lena's eyelids flutter shut as Kara begins whispering dirty little things into her ear. Everything about this is richly erotic. Most of Lena's wildest fantasies couldn't even come close to how good it felt.

Lena turns her neck and meets Kara’s mouth with her own, moaning into it, while Kara’s other hand palms her slick breast, kneading its flesh.

“Wow. You really like this, don’t you?” Kara asks her between heated kisses.

Lena's response sounds clichéd, but the truth is, she doesn't care. “God yes! Just don’t - don’t stop,” she pleads, as Kara continues to overwhelm her with confident touches. Kara begins moving inside of her, in counterpoint to each rock of Lena's hips. Lena can't help but become more vocal as she gets closer and closer to her climax, until it gets to the point where she's nearly streaming. She becomes helpless as she feels Kara's free hand move down to her clit, in order to begin drawing purposeful strokes over the hard bundle of nerves.

"Fuck! Oh my...god," Lena's suddenly inarticulate, as she sees sparks fly beneath her eyelids, "I'm going - I'm going to come." Her orgasm is coming, fast and powerful. In fact, it's so intense that it's threatening to take everything with it. Lena screams, as her reality seemingly explodes around her. She's suddenly seeing the world in a way that she's never seen it before. Every molecule in her entire body flares at once, white-hot and unrestrained. Lena goes rigid for one infinitesimal moment, as she and Kara exist in the same euphoric space. Stars flash behind her eyelids and Lena groans. She feels her cheeks heat with color, as her release goes everywhere. Lena groans as she lets her forehead drop against the shower wall. She's boneless and weak for a moment, but she can't seem to care. Fortunately, she has nothing to fear. She's safe like this. Kara would never let her fall. She's well aware that Kara is still holding her steady.

"Was that...?" the rest of Kara's question hangs in the air between them.

"Yeah," Lena breathes. "Yeah, it. I swear, that's never happened to me before. I'm so sorry, Darling."

"Sorry?" Kara laughs weakly. "Rao, that was so hot, Lee. You don't have to be sorry for that."

"I'm pretty sure I just ejaculated all over you and the shower wall," Lena laughs, "That really doesn't bother you?"

"Hell no!" Kara says honestly, as she carefully withdraws her hand from inside of her. “I’m going to turn you, okay?” Kara announces, before she flips Lena around.

"Lena, hey, please look at me?" Kara orders as Lena averts her eyes. "I love you. I love you and you don't have to be sorry. I'm so flattered that you enjoyed yourself that much. Seriously... that's like the hottest thing I've ever seen." Lena feels her heart burst with love and affection for Kara, as she finally meets her lover's gaze and sees nothing but sincerity reflected in Kara's bright blue eyes.

Kara steals several lingering kisses from Lena, which Lena wholeheartedly returns. She doesn't know how she could ever be worthy of someone like Kara, but she's so grateful that Kara loves her.

"I love you so much, Lena," Kara tells her. "I don't want you to feel like you _ever_ have to feel ashamed. You're the sexiest person I've ever-."

"I love you, too," Lena responds.

Kara kisses her for a long moment, before pulling away and dropping down onto her knees. Lena protests at the loss of contact. But those protests seem to fall on deaf ears. Ever so carefully, Kara pulls Lena’s left leg over her shoulder, opening Lena up to her. The noise that Lena makes in the back of her throat, upon realizing Kara’s intent, has a fresh wave of moisture pooling in Kara’s own throbbing core.

Kara lets out a sound of eagerness as she nuzzles Lena’s damp curls, smelling her arousal. Slowly, Kara’s tongue reaches out, to taste her lover for the first time. Lena squeezes her eyes shut, barely able to tolerate the extreme waves of pleasure she feels as Kara’s tongue runs through swollen, aching folds. Then, Kara does something unexpected. All breath is stolen from Lena’s lungs as Kara pushes her tongue inside of Lena’s recently vacated entrance, as far as it can go. Lena reaches down and grasps the back of Kara’s head. Lena is powerless to stop the noises that pass from her lips as she feels Kara work against her. She's helpless and overwhelmed, still hyped up from her previous orgasm. And Kara's dexterous tongue is not helping matters any.

After having a taste of her, it is hard for Kara to retract her tongue from between Lena's luscious folds, but eventually, she does so. In its place, Kara sinks two fingers deep inside of her lover, eliciting another moan. She can feel Lena’s strong walls clench around her fingertips, eagerly trying to pull her further in, as Lena’s body silently begs to be taken. Two fingers slide rhythmically in and out, as Kara swirls patterns over Lena’s clit with her tongue. Lena braces herself against the back wall of the shower. Her back goes rigid against the cool shower wall, as she goes on the ride of her life. Kara closes her eyes, memorizing every noise that comes from the love of her life, as she flicks Lena’s clit with her tongue. She takes Lena to the edge before slowly extricating her fingers and pulling away, leaving Lena groaning, seemingly begging for release.

Kara slowly straightens up, easing Lena’s leg back down, to where she holds it to her waist. Lena’s leg wraps around Kara's back, pulling her closer. Lena's mouth finds Kara’s again, her arousal burning hotter than she had ever felt it burn before. She moans in approval, as she tastes herself on Kara’s lips. For a long moment, the two slow things back down. Lena and Kara kiss ardently, expressing their love for one another through depth and exploration.

“Kara,” Lena breathes, her hips thrusting slightly against Kara’s immovable body. “ _Touch me more_. God _please_.”

“Shh,” Kara soothes, “I’ve got you, Lee, _I promise_.” Lena lets out another deep guttural moan as Kara's fingers find her center once more, and Kara resumes thrusting into her with a steady rhythm, slowly building up to her lover’s release. Slowly, Kara trails kisses down Lena’s neck, finding the place where Lena’s strong pulse point meets the outside world. After taking a moment to suck on the moist heated flesh, tasting and exulting in it, Kara trails more kisses slowly downwards, as her mouth seeks out Lena’s heaving breast. She eagerly sucks one of Lena’s nipples into her mouth, reveling in the loud moan that this earns her from her lover. Kara is rewarded as the sensation draws Lena even closer to the edge.

“Kara!” Lena lets out in a deep guttural moan seconds later. It is the most beautiful sound that Kara has ever heard.

“Open your eyes, Lee,” Kara begs as she straightens up again. Kara can tell that Lena was close. After all, Kara can feel Lena’s walls feebly cling to her fingertips with each thrust of her hand, as if she is trying desperately to hold her inside. Kara steals another kiss from her lover as she runs her thumb over Lena’s swollen clit. The only thing Lena can do is let out a non-committal noise in the back of her throat. “Come on, Lee,” Kara commands in a deep alto, “I want to see your eyes as you come apart for me. I crave them. _Please_.” Kara is unprepared for when Lena’s darkened green eyes finally open once more. They are a bright, radiant green; they remind Kara of the forest on a bright summer's day, when beams of light cascade down from the canopy above, and shine light on the ferns beneath. Kara is love with the shade.

“God, Lee,” Kara moans as Lena’s beauty nearly takes her breath away, “You’re almost there. Let go, love. Let go for me.” Lena kisses her with a renewed fervor. Kara’s own mind grows foggy as she curls her fingers inside of Lena. She is so close to her own release, just from watching her lover, and from feeling Lena respond to her touches. Spurred on by Lena’s moans, Kara begins to thrust harder and faster into Lena’s center. Lena’s eyes never leave Kara’s crystalline blue orbs, as Lena throws her body into every touch and sensation. Lena’s back arches away from the shower wall, as she drives her hips into Kara’s every thrust.

"I want you to come with me," Lena tells her. "Come with me, Kara." Kara groans as she feels Lena's fingers dart to her own core. Lena begins to work against Kara.

"Rao," Kara breathes, as she feels a twinge work it's way through her inner muscles. Lena feels Kara's rhythm falter, as Kara grows closer to her own release. "I'm close. I'm so close, Lee. Just hang on. Hang on for one second, and I'll be right there with you."

"I don't know if I can," Lena admits. But she's sure as hell going to try. She moves her thumb furiously over Kara's clit, as she frantically tries to tip the scales in their favor.

"Rao," Kara groans, "I'm going to come. Shit! I'm coming, Lee!"

Lena tries so very hard to keep her eyes open, but as she nears the edge of the precipice she finds it that much harder to do. The truth is, it is impossible. With one last flick of Kara’s thumb over her swollen clit, Lena is catapulted forwards into her release. Lena closes her eyes as she braces for the inevitable orgasm, however, before Kara can even admonish or reprimand her, Lena’s eyes spring back open, and her body recoils.

To see Lena’s terra firma shaded eyes and the emotion behind them as she finally comes apart, is the only gift that Kara ever needs or wants. She will always remember the feel of Lena’s walls clenching around her fingers as she rides out her own waves of pleasure. Kara’s name falls through Lena’s lips like a prayer, as she slowly comes down from her climax. Finally, Lena’s body relaxes and falls into the back wall. Kara watches for a heart-stopping moment, as Lena’s lungs desperately rake for oxygen. Kara follows after her, wanting as much contact between them as possible. For a long moment their two bodies mold together as if they are one, with Lena’s head resting gently against Kara's temple. The only thing that is seemingly holding them up, is Kara’s own strength.

“God,” Lena laughs breathlessly, “I don’t think that I can _move_. You’ve been holding out on me.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m not so sure that I can move either,” Kara admits after a long moment. This earns another punctuated laugh from the both of them.

“Gosh I love you,” Lena says as she pressed a kiss to Kara’s temple.

“Yeah?” Kara asks.

“Yeah,” Lena chuckles. “Mark my words… I’m gonna marry you someday, Kara Zor-El. With sex that good, I’d be a fool not to.”

“Oh, so you only want me for the sex, huh,” Kara jokes back. “I see how it is.”

“Kara,” Lena’s voice is thick as she speaks, “I –“

“I know,” Kara tells her, as if she truly knows everything that Lena had been about to say. “I was only kidding, Lee.”

“We should really finish up in here, before the water goes cold,” Kara says thoughtfully.

“You think you can help me?” Lena asks her. “Cause I really can’t feel my legs right now.”

“Yeah,” Kara smiles at her fondly, before she takes Lena’s lips in a soft kiss. “I’ve got you.”

 _Got 'em talking, asking how_  
_We keep holding onto this paradise we've found_  
_But it's our secret, they can't figure out_  
_We trust is what it's all about_

True to her promise, Kara helps Lena wash up. Every so often, she presses kisses to Lena’s body, causing shivers to course through Lena's body. After all, who could really resist? When she is finished, Lena ducks out of the shower. She presses a final, lingering kiss to Kara’s mouth, before departing. Then she is gone, and Kara has the shower to herself. Kara washes and rinses in record time. She cuts the flow of the water, and grabs the towel that Lena set out for her. She dries herself and plucks up her clothes from the floor. She sighs as she realizes that her shirt is too wrinkled to wear now. She dresses in her clothes, except for the shirt, and walks out into the bedroom.

Kara gasps, as she finds a immaculately dressed Lena waiting there for her, holding a small box.

“What is this?” Kara questions nervously.

“Open it and find out,” Lena tells her with a smile. Kara walks slowly forwards, and takes the box from Lena’s hands, with trembling hands. She carefully flips it open, and feels her heart lurch in her chest. Inside is a single key. For a moment she looks confused, but then it hits her like a ton of bricks. It's a symbolic gift, a key to Lena’s apartment.

“Uh…” Kara swallows, “What’s going on? You do know that I already have a key to your place, right? I mean you added me into the Biometrics ages ago in order to give me access.”

“Oh, no,” Lena chuckles, “You mistake my meaning, Kara.” Kara’s brows furrow, as Lena meets Kara’s gaze. “Here,” Lena takes Kara’s hand in her own, and quickly leads her over to the walk in closet. Kara’s eyes slowly rake over the empty half of the closet, before she catches Lena's meaning and hope settles into her stomach. Until now, Kara had only had a couple of drawers in Lena’s dresser to keep her things. Kara swallows over the sudden lump in her throat. She can feel Lena’s hand slip from her own, and turns. Her breath catches in her throat as she finds Lena kneeling on the floor.

“Kara Zor-El,” Lena breathes, “These last six months with you have been nothing short of incredible. You have been so patient with me. I have always had a lot of difficulty taking the first steps in a relationship. However, with you? With you, I find that I want more… _always_ more. I could spend a lifetime with you, and it still wouldn't be enough. The truth is, I want to be near you every minute of every day. I want to go to sleep with you every night, and wake up to you every morning. So what do you say? Will you move in with me, Kara? Officially?”

“Oh, Rao,” Kara laughs happily. “Really?” To which Lena’s response is an enthusiastic nod.

“I know that you love your apartment Kara,” Lena tells her. “And the truth is, I absolutely love it too, but we’ll have more space here.”

“And security is that much better here,” Kara voices thoughtfully. “Your safety is important to me, Lee. I want you to be safe.”

“I promise that together we can make this place feel like home,” Lena smiled. “This place has always felt a bit spartan – a bit impersonal, but since you started spending more time here, this place – this place feels like home to me. Even so, if you don't want to live here, I can...”

“Lena,” Kara smiles as she kneels down in front of Lena, and takes her hands in her own, “Hey, slow down a minute, okay? I would - I would _love_ to move in with you.”

“Yeah?” Lena asks, with sudden tears in her bright green eyes.

“Yeah,” Kara smiles, “The truth is, I can’t think of any place I’d rather be. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Lena reciprocates, before pulling Kara into an ardent kiss. The moment is broken, however, by the traitorous rumbling of Kara’s stomach. Lena lets out a loud, boisterous laugh, as she pulls away. To which Kara’s response is to blush deeply.

“Come on,” Lena says as she stands up, and tugs Kara to her feet. “Let’s go feed the beast before it gets angry.”

* * *

 

 _Everybody wants to know the secret, oh oh_  
_How do we keep it so good?_  
_Got something special, you and me, babe, oh oh_  
_Got everyone knocking on wood_  
_And it all gets better every single day_  
_I don't wanna call it perfect, babe_  
_But we must be doing something right_  
_Everybody wants to find the secret, oh oh_  
_How do we keep it so good?_

Minutes later, the pair is at Noonan’s. On the way down to the car, Kara had let it slip that she had a craving for sticky buns, and Lena was determined to meet Kara’s every whim.

“Right this way Ms. Danvers, Ms. Luthor,” the maitre d’ instructs. Kara jumps slightly, as a warm hand grasps her own and tugs. Kara looks over at Lena, who even though she isn't in a dress, looks incredible. Kara lets Lena lead her through the restaurant by her hand. Finally, after weaving their way through tables on the floor, they arrive at their table on the other side of the room.

“Here you are,” the Maitré d says again. “Your server will be right with you.”

“Thanks, Giovanni,” Lena smiles.

“Anytime, Ms. Luthor,” Giovanni smiles, “You two have a wonderful morning.” Lena nods, bidding him farewell, with a faint smile. Kara pulls her hand out of Lena’s, so that she can pull out her chair. Lena looks at Kara with raised eyebrows.

“What?” Kara asks innocently, “I can’t pull out your chair for you?” Lena feels a blush creep up her cheeks and carefully sits down. Kara walks around to the other side of the small table for two, and sits down in her own chair. Uneasily, Kara shifts in her chair. The item in her bag, is weighing heavily on her mind.

“Thanks,” Lena says finally. “Whoever it was that said that chivalry is dead, must not have met _you_. I’m just lucky that I’ve managed to snag the sweetest person in the world.” Lena says flirtatiously as she tries to make small talk. She frowns slightly, when she realizes that the Kara was currently in some far off place, looking out of the window to her right. The view from where they are is nothing spectacular, and yet, Kara looks completely transfixed. It is likely that Kara is lost in her own thoughts. “Kara?” Lena tries softly. “Kara? Earth to Kara!…” Kara jumps again as Lena’s hand reaches out to touch the one laid over the tablecloth. “Hey,” Lena smiles softly, “I think I lost you for a minute there. Are you still with me over there?”

“Yeah…I…Yeah,” Kara stutters, causing Lena to chuckle a little bit. “Sorry. I was just thinking.”

“What about?” Lena questions. “You know that you can talk to me about anything, right? I’m here for you. Hell, I would do just about anything for you.” Lena lets out another defeated sigh as she realizes she had lost Kara less than halfway through her miniature speech. “Kara,” Lena groans, “Am I boring you that much?”

“What?” Kara looks alarmed as she meets Lena’s gaze, “No! Never! I’m sorry! I'm just…I’m just a bit nervous.” Kara’s eyes glint a little bit, as Lena’s eyes hold her own.

“Why are you nervous?” Lena questions. “Haven’t we already made it through all of the nerve-wracking parts of our relationship?” Lena jokes.

“Oh, Rao, I wish,” Kara shoots back, with a nervous smile. “I umm… I have something for you,” Kara says as she produces a small, silver box from her purse and sets it down on the table in front of Lena. “I wanted to give it to you last night, but as you well know, that didn’t exactly work out. Happy Anniversary, Lee.”

“Can I… open it?” Lena asks, as she slowly reaches for it, giving Kara ample time to rescind it. She lets out a nervous laugh of her own, then says, “Gosh, now I’m the one that’s nervous.”  “Is there any chance that I can get you to tell me what it is?”

“Nope,” Kara teases, “You’re gonna have to open it, if you want to find out what it is.”

“Then, I guess I’m going to have to bite the bullet and just do it, huh?” Lena shoots back, with a quirk of her brow.

“ _Please_ ,” Kara swallows. She begins to nervously fidget with her hands over the table, as Lena takes the silver box into her own hands, and carefully prizes it open. Lena gasps as she lays eyes on the object that is waiting for her inside. It is unspeakably beautiful, a one of a kind bracelet that leaves Lena a little breathless.

“Oh my,” Lena breathes, as she carefully lifts the bracelet from the velvet pillow inside, and examines it closely. “My god, Kara, this is… this is beautiful.”

“I made it myself,” Kara admits. “Do you like it?” Kara asks her. Her eyes are stormy with anxiety, as Lena gingerly runs her fingers over the stones that have been inlaid into the glowing metal.

“Like it?” Lena repeats, incredulously. “Kara, I love it. This is amazing! How on earth did you do this?”

“It took a lot of patience,” Kara reveals, drawing Lena’s eyes to her own. Kara smiles. “You’ll be happy to know that it’s unbreakable, nigh indestructible. In fact, I’m pretty sure that you could throw it into a star, and it would survive.”

“Kara,” Lena breathes.

“Alex helped me,” Kara tells her. “It took us a long time to get it right, but I think it was worth it in the end.”

“I’ll say,” Lena punctuates, with a flash of her bright green eyes. “But you didn’t exactly answer my question. How on earth did you do this?”

Kara hesitates, “It's kind of hard to explain, but I could show you how to do it sometime. The stones – The stones that you see, are actually from other planets that I visited in the galaxy. I’d given them all up for lost, but Alex uncovered a secret compartment in my pod a couple of years ago. Apparently, my parents sent my collection of precious stones along with me when they sent me to Earth. Those are some of my favorites.”

“Kara,” Lena is absolutely floored that Kara would give her something so precious.

 _You're everything I never knew I needed_  
_Never gonna let you go_  
_We're the only ones who know_  
_Yeah, we're the only ones who know_

“As you might’ve guessed, there are six stones, one for every month that we’ve been together,” Kara explains. “The blue-green stone that you see in the middle is actually from Krypton. It's a precious stone.”

“It – It’s beautiful,” Lena breathes. “Do you know what my favorite part about it is? Do you know what it reminds me of?”

“No, what?” Kara intones.

“The color of your eyes,” Lena answers, “I swear that it’s the same exact shade.”

“Huh,” Kara laughs, "That's actually what my mom said to me, when I showed it to her the first time. She said that it was fate that I should find it."

“I can’t believe you would give me this,” Lena utters in disbelief. “It’s too much, Kara. I don't know if I can accept it.”

" _Please_. You have to. It’s my last piece of home, Lee,” Kara reveals to her, “And the truth is, I really want you to have it. I can’t think of anyone more worthy to share it with, than you. It seems only fitting to share an old piece of my home with my new one.”

“I don’t even know what to say,” Lena admits as she meets Kara’s eyes. Kara can actually detect a thin sheen of tears in Lena’s eyes, threatening to spill over.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Kara tells her. “Lena,” Kara swallows, “I don't mean to make a big deal of it, but there’s something else about the bracelet that I think you should know.”

“Oh?” Lena’s voice inflects slightly, as she voices her question. “And what’s that?”

“Okay,” Kara laugh, “So…” Kara begins to draw patterns on the tablecloth with her fingers, before she looks up and locks onto Lena’s gaze. “On Krypton, our marriage practice was to exchange bracelets instead of rings,” Kara tells her softly. “We had marriage ceremonies similar to ones here on earth, where bracelets were moved from the right wrist to the left one, and vows were exchanged.”

“Wait. Are you - Are you proposing?” Lena asks. She is momentarily stunned. Kara reads this to mean that Lena isn't ready to marry her.

“No,” Kara shakes her head. “Not yet at least. I guess you could say that it’s more of a promise to you, than anything else. Look, I'm going to be completely honest with you, Lena. I want to marry you one day. I truly meant it when I said that you’re _it_ for me. I fully plan on spending the rest of my life with you, but I want you to be ready for that too. We - We’ve only just decided to move in together.” Kara lets out a lingering breath. “So how about we take things one step at a time for now? And then, when you’re ready - when you’re ready to make that sort of commitment, you can give me a bracelet, and I’ll know for sure that you want that too.”

“That sounds absolutely wonderful, Kara,” Lena smiles.

“Good,” Kara smiles as she lifts Lena’s hand from the table and presses a long, lingering kiss to Lena’s knuckles. “I love you,” Kara says gently as she meets Lena’s misting eyes.

“I love you too, Kara,” Lena tells her passionately, “So much!”

The moment is broken as the waiter finally comes by. Lena clears her throat, and quickly reaches up to wipe at her eyes; it is as if she was desperate to conceal that she’d been about to cry.

“Good Morning,” he greets them with a friendly smile, “What can I get you two beautiful ladies this morning?”

“I’d like a Vanilla Latte with half of the syrup,” Lena replies, after quickly quickly scanning the menu, “and your Veggie omelet.” Kara laughs as Lena sets down her menu, and looks at Kara with an expectant expression.

“I’ll have a Caramel Macchiato, made extra hot, and a Sticky bun,” Kara iterates, while quickly scanning the menu.

“You’d better make that three,” Lena cuts in with a playful smile. Kara laughs as she meets Lena’s knowing expression.

“And I think I’d like to add an order of bacon to the order,” Kara says, handing him the menu. "For us to share."

“Okay,” he nods, “I’ll put your orders in and I’ll be right back with your drinks.”

“Thank you,” Lena tells him, as he ducks away from the table

“Are you sure you don’t want more to eat?” Lena asks.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Kara gives her a beaming smile. Kara takes the bracelet from Lena’s hand. “Here, let me show you how to put it on,” Kara says as she takes it from Lena. “You want to press this little mechanism, here,” Kara says as she presses her thumb over a small protrusion in the metal, and slides it sideways with her thumbnail. Lena gasps quietly as the bracelet opens. Afterwards, Lena watches with rapt attention Kara slides it onto Lena’s wrist, and hits the locking mechanism. The bracelet closes with a faint whine, affixing itself to her wrist. “Now, there are some cool features you should know about,” Kara says as she absentmindedly began to draw patterns on Lena’s wrist with the pad of her thumb. “It has a built in panic device that you can activate, if you’re ever in trouble, or if you ever need my help. If you press this stone inward, with one of your fingers, it will activate.”

“That’s a great feature, but couldn’t I accidentally set it off?” Lena questions.

“No,” Kara replies, “It specifically requires your fingerprint so that it can’t be activated accidentally. In fact, let me show you.” Kara clears her throat nervously, and presses the stone with one of her fingers. Lena can hear a faint click as the stone is pressed inwards, but nothing happens. “Now you try,” Kara tells her, and Lena does exactly as she is instructed. She pushes in the stone with her thumb, and hears a faint click. Lena jumps slightly as Kara’s phone chirps a second later. Kara pulls her phone out and sets it on the table. Lena watches as she unlocks the device, and shows Lena the alert. It is the House of El symbol, with Lena’s name under it. After Kara taps it with her finger, it pulls up a map, showing them both Lena’s exact location, before it zooms in to show them the exact table that she and Kara are sitting at, at Noonan’s.

Kara hits the dismiss button, and enters in a four digit confirmation code. This confirmed that she was no longer in need of the coordinates, and turned the tracker in Lena’s bracelet off.

“See?” Kara looks somewhat proud as she sets the phone back on the table.

“Okay,” Lena concedes, “That’s pretty amazing.”

“The device also has a failsafe built into it. Winn helped me install a microcomputer in the bracelet, so that the bracelet can read your vitals at any given moment. If it detects a critical alteration in pulse rate, or pulse-oximetry, it will automatically send out a signal to me, and activate the tracker so that I can find you. But the best part about it is that it can fool any scanners, because the tracking device isn’t usually active.”

“Jeez,” Lena gasps, “How did you think of all this stuff?”

“Well,” Kara clears her throat, “It wasn’t just me. I had some help. Winn is a genius in his own right, as you well know. And when I expressed what it is that I needed it to do, he already had ideas as to how we could pull it off. Alex also helped me with the design, and the metalworking, cause she’s really good with her hands. And, of course, I was able to put my heat vision to some really good use.”

“This is an amazing gift, Kara,” Lena tells her.

“I umm…” Kara stutters, “I realize that you might not be okay with it. I mean…I’ve gotten used to the idea of the DEO knowing where I am at any given moment, but I’m also a believer in privacy. And I just want you to know that I will never abuse it, Lena. The only reason I included a tracker in the bracelet was for your safety.”

“I know,” Lena tells her, sincerely, “I know you would never use it against me, Kara. I trust you.”

“You do?”

“Of course!” Lena responds. “Wholly and completely. You have never done anything untoward, Kara, like ever… You’ve always been completely honest with me. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting to keep me safe. Hell, I would give anything to be able to do the same for you. I worry about you a lot.”

“I’ll have Alex install an app on your phone that will allow you to keep track of where I am,” Kara assures her. “But I’ll warn you, that might make you worry more, not less.”

“Kara, if – if something ever happened to you?” Lena begins, with a falter of her voice. “How long would it be before I found out? I’m just curious.”

“Alex has promised me that she’d notify you right away,” Kara says as she grasps Lena’s hand in her own, “She’d send someone to take you to the DEO. Outside of Alex, and my own mother, you’d be the first to know.” Kara sighs. “I know that it’s difficult to think about. Hell, I can’t even imagine what last night must have been like for you, but…I promise that I won’t make a habit of it.”

“You say that,” Lena says to her, thickly, “But how many close calls have you had in the last year?”

“Too many,” Kara admits. “Unfortunately, what I do is dangerous. There’s a lot of risk involved. And as much as I’ve tried to be careful, there’s a lot that is out of my control. I guess you can take solace in the fact that I will always fight like hell to come home to you.”

“I know,” Lena swallows, “I know that. It’s just difficult to see you on the television, and know that there’s nothing I can do to help you. Having a loved one that is constantly in the line of fire is…. Well, let’s just say there’s no word to accurately describe how hard it is.” Kara gives Lena a sympathetic look.

“Do you want me to stop?” Kara asks her quietly. “Because I would do just about anything for you, but I don’t know if that’s something I can give you. I don’t think I could ever go back to the way things were before. I have this innate need – this drive to protect the people who aren’t strong enough to protect themselves.” Then. “Eventually, I might be willing to hang up the cape, but not until I feel like I’ve given it everything I have.”

“I don’t want you to stop,” Lena tells her honestly. “It would be wrong of me to ask that of you. Your desire to help others – this drive that you have to protect people, is one of the things that I love most about you, Kara. You make the world a better place, in a way that I can only hope to do.”

“You do make the world a better place,” Kara responds, “Lena, your legacy will live on for generations. We’re talking about hundreds of years. In the future, you save countless lives with your medical innovations.”

“L-Corp does that,” Lena corrects her, “Not me.”

“L-Corp wouldn’t be what it is without you,” Kara argued, “And you know that. So don’t try to downplay your role in that, Lena. You’re too damned modest for your own good.”

Their eyes are drawn from eachother, by the clattering of plates on the table.

“Here you are,” the waiter smiles. “One Veggie omelet for you, milady,” he speaks to Lena as he settles the plate in front of her. "As well as a Vanilla Latte made with half of the syrup," he says as he sets the mug of steaming hot coffee in front of her.

“An extra hot Caramel Macchiato, and a Sticky bun for you,” he tells Kara with a smile. “As well as one side of bacon for you both to share.”

“Thanks,” Kara gives him a warm, beaming smile, “This looks amazing.”

“Can I get you ladies anything else?” he asks as he meets Lena’s eyes, and then Kara’s.

“No, everything looks spectacular,” Lena replies, “Thank you.”

“Alright, then! Enjoy,” he bids them, before disappearing.

They both begin to eat their food, enthusiastically. Lena laughs, as Kara takes a huge bite of her sticky bun, while making appreciative noises in the back of her throat. As Lena briefly sets down her fork, she meets Kara’s gaze. “You’ve got a little something on your lip,” Lena informs her. Kara runs her thumb over it, but fails to get the spot in question.

“Did I get it?” To which Lena’s response is laughter.

“Oh, Darling,” Lena huffs between enthusiastic laughter, “You’re adorable.” Then, “Come here,” she orders, “I’ll get it for you.” Kara leans forwards over the table. Lena carefully stand, and plants a hand flat on the table, before leaning forwards. At first Kara thinks that Lena merely intends to wipe it away with her napkin, but then Lena surprises her. Kara gasps gently into Lena’s mouth as Lena kisses the chocolate in question away, running her tongue over Kara’s lip. She hums, as she tastes some of the chocolate from Kara’s sticky bun. She relishes in it. Together, they kiss over the table, drawing eyes from others around them. Slowly, Lena pulls away, in order to see a healthy glow on Kara’s cheeks. Kara lets out a nervous chuckle and straightens her glasses.

“There,” Lena gives her an affectionate smile. “All better!”

* * *

 

Within minutes, Kara is sitting in the passenger seat of Lena’s car as they head to the tattoo parlor. Most of the trip is made in silence, as Kara takes interest in the things happening outside the window.

It is early in the morning, but in the middle of the summer, so the air outside is already warm. Kara has the window down, and her arm is hanging out of it. She holds it rigid, feeling the wind push back against her, though it is somewhat weak and feeble compared to Kara’s strong limb. The sky is a radiant sapphire blue, with barely a cloud to be seen on the horizon, as Lena slowly makes her way through the inner city, stopping at nearly every intersection. For some reason, they seem to be out of luck. They are hitting all the yellow and red streetlights, as opposed to the much preferred green. “Must we hit every light in this city?” Lena grouses under her breath.

“Well, there’s an easy enough solution to that problem,” Kara shoots back, earning a glance, and a smile from Lena.

“And what would that be? Are you really suggesting we abandon the car, and fly there instead?”

“Actually,” Kara laughs, “I was gonna say that you should just push me out of the car. Maybe then you’d get rid of all of this bad light karma that I seem to carry around with me everywhere.”

“Oh, so it’s you!” Lena says as she meets Kara’s gaze, “Cause I would have bet money, _I_ was the problem.”

“So what do you say, do you want me to bail?” Kara asks, as she toys with the door handle.

“I think I’ll take my chances,” Lena tells her as she takes Kara’s hand over the center console, and threads their fingers together. “I’d much rather have your company, and have it take three times as long to reach our destination, than spend the next minutes alone."

After another fifteen minutes of driving, they finally pull up outside of the tattoo parlor, and Lena shifts the car into park. Then, she cuts the engine. Kara effortlessly pushes open the passenger door, and slides from the car. Lena checks in the side-mirror for traffic and then does the same. She quickly hustles around the back of the car and steps onto the sidewalk.

“Come on,” Kara smiles, as she clasps Lena’s hand in her own and then leads her to the door. She pulls it open for Lena and ushers her inside. Lena steps into the small parlor, and takes a look around.

“Welcome,” a female, with purple hair greets them, “I’m Ivy. What can I do for you ladies this morning?” Out of the corner of her eye, Kara can see Ivy give Lena a quick once over. 

“Actually,” Kara clears her throat, “I’m an old client of Ryan’s. I was wondering if he was in today.”

“Oh! Uh…Sure,” Ivy smiles, “Just a sec. I’ll be right back.” She disappears into the room behind the counter.

“So,” Kara hedges as she drums her fingers nervously on the counter. “What do you think?”

“It’s uh… It’s quaint,” Lena smiles. “I like the artwork,” Lena tells her as she looks at some of the designs beneath the glass.

“Are you having second thoughts?” Kara asks her.

“What?!? No!” Lena protests, though Kara can hear a bit of a quaver in her voice. Kara glances up as the door behind the counter opens, and Ryan steps out into the room

“Kara!” Ryan greets her excitedly. “You came back!”

“Hey, Ryan,” Kara returns, “It’s really good to see you.”

“You too!” he smiles, as he rushes around the counter and pulls her into a hug. Lena feels a spike of jealousy flare up in her chest as she watches it all. Ryan laughs a little as he rocks Kara back and forth on her heels, as if they really were the best of friends. But Lena knows that they couldn’t be more than mere acquaintances. She supposes that Kara has that effect on people. She is so friendly, sweet, and kind, that she can make anyone feel like the closest of friends. Finally, he lets her go.

“Ryan, there’s someone very special that I want you to meet,” Kara says as she gestures to Lena. Lena feels warmth bloom in her chest, as Kara reaches for Lena’s hand and threads her fingers through Lena’s. “This is my girlfriend, Lena. We - We actually just celebrated our six month anniversary last night!”

“Oh!” Ryan smiles widely, his adorable dimple in full view. “That’s fantastic, Kara! I’m so happy for you both.” Then, he adds. “It’s so good to meet you, Lena,” he tells Lena, as he holds out a tentative hand. “You must be the reason that Kara looks so much happier!” Lena gently takes Ryan’s hand and gives it a healthy shake.

“She is,” Kara cuts in.

“That’s good,” Ryan says as he glances at Kara. “You looked so heartbroken that night, and I thought about it for a long time afterwards. I wished I could have done more to help.”

“You did help,” Kara admits. “I was very sad, but you helped change that.”

“You actually helped put us together,” Kara informs him.

“I did?” Ryan looks shocked, but pleased.

“Yeah,” Kara laughs, “It was the tattoo you gave me. We uh… We were best friends, and I was in love with her, but I didn’t think she could ever feel the same way. In fact, I’d given up all hope of anything happening. But she saw the tattoo, and she figured out that it was her name. She showed up at my apartment afterwards, and we talked.”

“We realized we were both in love with each other, and-” Lena continues the story, “I guess you can say that the rest is history.”

“Damn,” Ryan swears, “You’re serious? That elaborate tattoo that I gave you, was of her name?”

“Yes,” Lena laughs. “And I have a small favor to ask of you.”

“Of course,” Ryan says, amiably.

“I would like to get a tattoo of Kara’s name,” Lena breathes, “In the same place that she got hers.”

“I’ll draw it for you,” Kara promises him. He laughs, and goes to fetch a piece of paper. They repeat the drill from last time. Kara quickly scrawls down her name in Kryptonian symbols on the paper. Ryan and Lena both watch it take shape. The K in Kara’s name looks vaguely like a backwards 2, with some extra swirls thrown in for good measure. Lena recognizes the second symbol from Kara’s tattoo, right down to the hook at the top of the letter. The R is quickly put to paper, and finally, Kara jots down the last symbol.

“Wait, you’re forgetting something,” Lena whispers.

“I am?” Kara’s brow furrows, as she wracks her brain. Kara’s pulse quickens as Lena leans into her and whispers several words in her ear. Kara’s cheeks flush rapidly with color, but then she quickly adds a fifth symbol to sit beside the others. It is Kara’s family crest.

“There,” Kara says with a punctuated drop of the pen. She smiles as she turns to Lena, “All good?”

“I love it,” Lena smiles. "It's perfect."

“Perfect,” Ryan’s voice pipes up, “I’ll go make the template. I take it that you want it to be the same size as hers?”

“Yes,” Lena nods. “Same color and everything. Except… I think I would like the last symbol to be done in red and gold.”

“Okay,” Ryan nods in understanding, “I think I can do that.”

“Hey, Ryan?” Kara speaks up, as she toys with the idea. “I think I’d like to get something else done.”

“Oh!?” Ryan looks elated, “What would you like?”

“I need another piece of paper,” Kara tells him. He fetches another piece of paper, and gives Kara a pen before he momentarily disappears. Lena watches as Kara writes something down on the piece of paper in cursive. She plays with the design, writing it several different times in several different ways.

“El-mayarah,” Lena slowly sounds out the word, earning a peculiar look from Kara.

“What does it mean?” Lena asks her, as she traces the words with her fingertips.

“It’s my family motto,” Kara told her. “It means that we are stronger together. There isn’t anything that you can’t accomplish when you’re together. It’s sort of like you and me.”

“Damn it, Kara,” Lena laughs, “You just had to go and say that, didn’t you?”

“What?” Kara’s eyes flash in alarm, “What’s wrong with what I just said?”

“I’m already getting one tattoo tonight,” Lena breathes, “And now you’re trying to talk me into getting a second?”

“I wasn’t!” Kara protests, just as Ryan reappears.

“Oooh,” Ryan laughs, “Are you two having a lover’s quarrel?”

“No!” Kara bursts out. “She’s just teasing me.”

 _Got something special, you and me, babe_  
_You and I, we cracked the code_

He smiles at them both, with a knowing look in his blue eyes. “You two are really cute together!”

“Aww,” Kara blushes, “Thanks!”

“So, since I’m kind of responsible for getting you two together, does that mean that I get an invite to the wedding?” Ryan asks them, as he fishes out the paperwork that needs to be filled out from behind the desk.

“What makes you think there’s going to be a wedding?” Lena asks him.

“Trust me,” Ryan tells her as he meets her eyes. There's a seriousness in them as he says, “A guy like me sees things, and he knows! You two are meant to be together, I guarantee it. It’s in the way that you look at each other. I swear that I saw it in the first thirty seconds. Kara looks at you like you put the stars in the skies. And you? You look at her, like she’s a flipping Superhero.” Lena nearly chokes on the air in her lungs.

“That’s cause she is,” Lena laughs.

“Uh huh,” he rolls his eyes, “Sure…I _totally_ believe that.” Then he adds, “No offense, Kara. You know I like you, but even that’s stretching belief just a little too much.”

“None taken,” Kara says, after choking back her own laughter.

“Anyway…” Ryan continues, “You two are totally amazing together.” He picks up the piece of paper that has Kara’s designs on it. “Which one of these did you want to use?”

“I think the middle one,” Kara tells him. “What do you think, Lee?”

“Definitely the middle one,” Lena nods. “And… this is probably going to sound crazy, but I think I’d like to get that one, too.”

“Wow,” Ryan gasps, “You’re a glutton for punishment, eh?”

“I guess you could say that,” Lena says with a wink aimed his way. “I am dating Kara, after all!” To which Kara’s response was an indignant, “Hey!”

Lena tries to keep a straight face, but the second Kara aims a glare her way, Lena bursts into laughter.

“That wasn’t funny!” Kara protests. “I thought you were serious for a second there!”

“Kara,” Lena says as she looked at her. “Oh come on, Darling! You know I absolutely adore you!”

“Well, I’m going to make up two templates,” Ryan informs them. “Why don’t you guys fill out the paperwork while I’m gone? I’ll be back in a jiffy, I promise.” Then he disappears again. They quickly fill out the paperwork, while bumping shoulders with one another. They turn it into a competition, trying to sabotage each other’s attempts to fill out the paperwork, and beat each other to the bottom of the page. As a result, their paperwork is barely legible. But the laughter that passes between them makes it all completely worth it.

“Ha!” Lena says as she drops her pen onto the counter. “I win!”

“That you do,” Kara tells her. Lena sighs dreamily into Kara's mouth, as Kara pulls her into a deep kiss.

 _Everybody wants to know the secret, oh oh_  
_How do we keep it so good?_  
_Got something special, you and me, babe, oh oh_  
_Got everyone knocking on wood_  
_And it all gets better every single day_  
_I don't wanna call it perfect, babe_  
_But we must be doing something right_  
_Everybody wants to find the secret, oh oh_  
_How do we keep it so good?_

They are still kissing, when Ryan strides back into the room. Kara can swear that she hears him actually, “Aww!” at the two of them.

“Alright, guys,” Ryan announces, “I’m all set up in the back, if you’d like to follow me?!”

“Yeah,” Kara swallows, “I’m just going to duck into the bathroom for a second.”

“Sure, I’ll show you where it is,” he tells her, “It’s right on the way.”

When they reach the bathroom, Kara ducks inside and shuts the door. She pulls out a bracelet from a lead lined box in her purse and slips it onto her right wrist. Kara sways a bit, as the effects of the Kryptonite start to take hold of her body, almost immediately. The truth is, it makes her feel mildly sick, but at the same time, she knows that it should weaken her enough to get the tattoo and make it stick.

There is a faint tap on the door.

“Kara?” Kara faintly hears Lena’s voice through the door.

“It’s open,” Kara breathes. Kara looks up as the door is pushed open.

“What are you-?” Lena starts to ask, but then she sees the glowing green bracelet upon Kara's wrist. “Oh!” Then she shakes her head, “Kara, no! You’ll make yourself weak.”

“It’s just for a little bit,” Kara tells her. “Until I get the tattoo. Then, I’ll take it off.”

“I don’t like it,” Lena shakes her head.

“I know,” Kara swallows, “But it’ll be okay.”

“I can’t talk you out of this, can I?” Lena asks her.

“No,” Kara tells her honestly. Kara’s heart skips a beat, as Lena takes Kara’s hand in hers and carefully leads her outside. She shows Kara the way to the room, while steadying Kara’s body with her own, and sits her down.

“Kara is going to go first,” Lena announces to Ryan.

“Sure!” he replies, “Where do you want this, Kara?”

“On the inside of my left wrist,” Kara tells him, as she points to it. He arranges the template and presses it there. He checks her approval before he starts up the device and lifts it to Kara’s skin. Kara gasps slightly as she feels the needles prick her skin.

“You can squeeze my hand, Darling,” Lena offers. But the truth is, that Kara doesn't trust herself not to squeeze too hard. Instead, she presses her right hand into her own thigh and squeezes there. It is over before she knows it. As soon as he's finished, Ryan quickly cleans it up, and bandages it. Then, when she's all set, Kara gives Lena a look, and ducks out to the bathroom again, so that she can take the bracelet off. Once she is inside, she properly stores it, so that it is no longer affecting her.

When she walks back into the room, Lena is already laid out on the table, and Ryan is hard at work. Kara sits down carefully on Lena’s other side, and allows Lena to take her hand in her own. As soon as Kara’s hand is in her hold, Lena squeezes it – hard. Lena bites her lip as if to combat the pain, and Kara brushes her hand soothingly over Lena’s hair, as if to distract her. It works to a degree.

“You’re doing great,” Kara smiles, as she meets Lena’s eyes, “You’re a champ, Lee. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” Lena tells her. “And as painful as this is, I’m really excited to be doing it. I’m glad to make this commitment with you. It makes me happy.”

“It’s looking great,” Ryan assures her. “I’m almost done, Lena. I’m just working on the last symbol.”

“Good,” Lena replies, but her eyes never leave Kara’s. “You know, I can’t help but think you’re a little crazy for getting your tattoo on your ribcage. I’m pretty sure this is three times as painful as any of other ones that I’ve gotten, and I got one of them over my lower spine.”

“I’ll accept complete responsibility for that,” Kara tells her. “You didn’t have to get it in the exact same place as me, you know?”

“Sure, I did,” Lena argues. “It’s for solidarity, you know?”

Kara waits patiently as Ryan finishes. He switches off the device. Changes the ink, and then gets back to work on the last symbol, perfectly replicating the S that Kara used to draw in her high school notebooks.

Lena lets out a breath of relief as Ryan finally finishes, and begins cleaning up the tattoo. Kara finally gets an unobstructed view of it, and she can't help but marvel at it. It was official. Lena had Kara’s name on her ribcage now, right next to her own heart. And it was beautiful…so damned beautiful that Kara can't put it into words. The feelings it elicited actually made Kara's heart skip beats in her chest. She was so in love with Lena that it wasn’t even funny.

“It looks amazing,” Kara breathes.

“It does, doesn’t it?” Lena asks. “You look good on me, Kara Danvers.”

“Hardy har har,” Kara laughs at Lena’s bad joke.

“So?” Ryan asks, as he walks into the room with a fresh set of sterile needles. “Have the two of you given any thought to what sort of ceremony that you want to have? Do you want a big wedding? Or a small affair?”

“Uh…” Kara’s cheeks flush with color. “Hypothetically? I’d like small wedding,” she answers, at the same precise moment that Lena answers, “A big one.”

“Uh oh,” Ryan laughs, good-naturedly. “I’ve just stepped in it, haven’t I?”

“Hey, all that matters to me, is who is walking down the aisle,” Kara amends, “None of the other stuff matters, so long as it’s Lena who is walking towards me.”

“Good answer,” Ryan tells her.

“Who says I’ll be the one walking down the aisle?” Lena chuckles.

“See, all this arguing over details would be avoided if we just eloped,” Kara jokes.

“But don’t you want all of your family and friends to be at our wedding?” Lena questions.

“The only people that I have to have at my wedding, are Alex, Eliza, J’onn, Winn, and James,” Kara tells her. “There are some other people that I might want to invite, but there are logistical difficulties.”

“Oh,” Lena replies as she realizes what Kara was insinuating, “Well, we’ll have to talk more about this later, but I think I understand what you’re saying.”

“For the record?” Kara inflects as she meets Lena’s gaze, “I want to give you everything you’ve always dreamed of. So if you want a big wedding? I would be thrilled to make sure you have the biggest, gayest, wedding in the history of all mankind. I love you.”

“I love you too, Darling,” Lena says with a beaming smile upon her face.

“Aww, you guys!” Ryan says excitedly. “You’re seriously the cutest couple I have ever met, and I’m so happy that I played a part in getting you together, even if it was a small one.”

“I feel like I owe you a huge thank you,” Lena tells him sincerely, “I can’t imagine how much longer we would have danced around our feelings, if it wasn’t for you. I feel like I owe you everything - all my happiness and more.”

“I have every confidence that you guys would have gotten there on your own,” Ryan replies. “Either way, I’m happy for you! And I hope that you two will consider me a friend.”

“Of course, Ryan,” Kara smiles. “And hey, if there is a wedding, I promise that I will make sure that you’re there!”

 

 

_Everybody wants to know_  
_Baby, everybody wants to know_  
_Everybody wants to know_  
_Baby, everybody wants to know_  
_Everybody wants to know_  
_Baby, everybody wants to know_  
_Everybody wants to know_  
_How do we keep it so good?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's it for now! As I said in the notes at the beginning, there will be an epilogue (which I plan on posting as a 4th chapter), but this seemed like the best place to leave it for now.
> 
> The epilogue is going to take place on their One-year anniversary! I don't want to spoil too much, but there's more happiness ahead for them! ;)
> 
> If you've enjoyed this story, so far, please let me some feedback! I would love to know what you guys think so far! Thanks so much for all your love and support, guys! No only for this story, but for my others as well! It means a lot to me!

**Author's Note:**

> If you have time, please take a minute to let me know what you thought. I'd love to know if you guys were as intrigued by this idea, as I was in the beginning (even though it didn't exactly turn out as I expected). For some reason, I love the idea of Kara getting a tattoo.
> 
> Also, thanks for reading! It means a lot to me that you took the time to read my stuff.
> 
> And, hey, If want to come by my tumblr and say hello, I'd be honored! My tumblr url is @synchronousheartbeats. Love you guys! :)


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